George Johnson
E3
struck 22-year-old spotted having his picture snapped in front of the big double doors heading into the locker-room earlier in the day, quite acceptable.
Aliu marked his NHL bow by registering an assist on Michael Cammalleri’s first of two goals on the night, finished plus-one with a team-high four hits and a minor roughing penalty for the dust-up with Lapierre in 10 and a half official minutes of ice time.
On a night that the locals seemed destined to sleepwalk through (the Flames could only drum up three lousy shots through a dreadfully one-sided first period), Aliu’s unabashed enthusiasm helped stoke dormant embers.
Like the newcomer, they required a bit of time to warm up.
“I kept getting more comfortable as the game got going,’’ he adjudged. “I started getting my legs in the second period. In the second, I started getting some chances. In the first period I almost had that breakaway . . . I just needed another inch, but I couldn’t get by the guy. He just poked it away.
“That’s the biggest thing — getting chances.’’
Alexandre Burrows had staked the Canucks to a 1-0 first-period lead, short-handed, that held up through 40 minutes, before the largely listless Flames began to mount an unexpected comeback.
The big moment for Aliu came when the opportunistic Cammalleri lifted the rebound of a Jay Bouwmeester shot over Vancouver goaltender Cory Schneider at 1:27 of the third period.
The kid was credited with the second assist.
“He was very excited,’’ laughed Cammalleri. “We talked earlier about the love for the game and you could just see it in his body language; how appreciative he is to be here.
“He played hard for us and great for him he gets his first win and his first point in his first game. That’s only going to happen once for him. For any of us.
“First point? Of course, I remember mine. My first game, in Ottawa, an assist, to Mathieu Schneider. Yeah, that makes me feel old. I played with him a couple of years, actually.
“It’s a great feeling. I didn’t realize right away that he’d gotten an assist on it. He came in the pile, he was just SO excited. . . . I told him I was proud to be part of it.’’
Cammalleri was back for more later, after Curtis Glencross took full avantage of a sloppy Henrik Sedin turnover in the Vancouver slot to count his first goal in 12 games. Seven minutes later, Cammalleri rapped the puck in from the side of Schneider’s net at 16:23 of the third to increase the Calgary lead to 3-1.
Another season ends prematurely for the Flames on Saturday afternoon when Teemu Selanne and the Anaheim Ducks come-acalling.
All things considered, a forgettable evening. The defending Western Conference-champion Canucks are looking to get healthy and hopefully going on to bigger things over the next couple of months; go on another deep, compelling run into the springtime that this time they finish off in style. The Flames, meanwhile, are only anxious to see the season drift away and out of sight in their rear-view mirror.
For all the players, owing to vastly different circumstances, Thursday night will be quickly forgotten. For all of them, that is, save one. “Doesn’t mean much in the standings to us,’’ said Alkim Aliu, “but it means a whole lot to me.’’
Didn’t take Akim Aliu long to realize first-hand what the rest of them were already acutely aware: That the grinning, goading, gloating Max Lapierre is a throbbing pain in the . . .
“I don’t know,’’ murmurred the nervous first-gamer, writhing slightly as the centre of attention post-game. “The guy obviously has a reputation around the league. I’m just a young guy coming in. I’m just trying to set a tone.
“Maybe try to do a little of what he does. Get under your skin. I guess I’ve got some sort of respect for him but . . . That’s just the type of player he is.’’
Yes, as warm and fuzzy as a hunk of pink asbestos insulation rubbed lustily on a patch of raw skin.
Already consigned to the playoff scrap heap, condemned to their lowest point total since ’03-04 — the season Darryl Sutter took control of the bench from Greg Gilbert mid-stream, a year Jarome Iginla turned a boyish 25 — the Calgary Flames tried to summon some energy and urgency
That first period was obviously hard for them to play.
And absolute murder for everyone else to watch. Well, one down, one to go. And if you’ve gotta play ’em, might as well go out and actually win ’em. Even if they are far too little, far too late.
As a debut for Aliu, far from Baerteshi-esque in its mouthwatering potential. But for a star-