Wideman returns to slumping Flames
Dennis Wideman, just like you, has watched the past few Calgary Flames games and wondered where the offence has gone.
From his vantage point — sick bay at the Scotiabank Saddledome where he has been recovering from a broken hand for the last month — there are chances, sure, but no one seems to convert.
The veteran defenceman believes the solution is not National Hockey League rocket science.
“Anytime you’re struggling to score goals, it’s always, ‘Just start shooting. Get to the front of the net. Crash the net, get ugly ones,’” Wideman said to the media following Thursday’s skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “And start building off that. That’s a leaguewide thing that everyone says when you’re strug- gling and that’s because it works. Whenever you’re struggling to score and you haven’t scored much, you can watch video and eight times out of 10, you’re probably playing a little bit on the perimeter and not getting to the net and not seeing the plays as much.
“I think if we start throwing pucks to the net, then you start opening other things up and you’ll start to see (goals). It’s all kind of a cycle.”
One goal in the last nine periods. One win in eight games.
Wideman, one of their most productive blueliners, has been absent for the last 16 outings. Offensively minded Kris Russell also has been out with a second-degree MCL sprain, which hasn’t helped matters either.
“We’ve had some injuries,” Wideman said. “Obviously with Russ out of the lineup, he was playing so great and creating so much from the blueline for our forwards and getting pucks up to them and lugging pucks out and stuff like that. When you lose a guy like that, it obviously hurts the offence.”
It also makes Wideman’s return — Friday against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning — more newsworthy because of the added elements he brings to the table.
“Wides has great vision, a great shot,” said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. “He’s a very good passer. It’s a good addition for us. He’s a right-shot so he gives us nice options on that side ... power play, he’s one of our best.”
“He has great patience, great vision, he can shoot the puck fiveon-five. Breakouts, he never panics with the puck.”
Up until his injury, the 30-yearold averaged 26:14 of ice time per night which, for comparison’s sake, is more than captain Mark Giordano (25:04), who also missed a chunk of the season with a broken ankle. He also fired 57 shots on net and scored two goals and 10 assists in 24 games.
It’s also clear Wideman has no problems helping out the goalies, which is exactly how he fractured his left hand in the first place, trying to bat down a shot against the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 27. The injury required surgery that saw a titanium plate and screws inserted so that a cast wasn’t necessary to give him more mobility.
Playing a waiting game, Wideman has been working on strengthening the muscles (to be able to squeeze a stick again) and trying to get his full range of motion back.
Still bruised and swollen, he’s been skating with the team since last week and is set to return to the ice Friday on a pairing with the stay-at-home Ladislav Smid.
“You never want to be injured,” Wideman said. “You never want to be sitting out, so anytime you’re watching games, it’s awful tough. At first, when you know you can’t play, it’s not quite as hard. But when you’re getting closer to coming back and you feel like you could be going, that’s when it starts to get really tough because you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and you know you’re coming back soon.”