GAUDREAU HAS HIS MOJO BACK AND THAT’S REASON TO CHEER
Flashy forward’s solid night a step forward as team takes step back, writes Eric Francis
In the midst of a game that seemed hopelessly similar to so many others early this season, a chant emanated from the upper levels of the Saddledome that sounded vaguely familiar.
“Johnny, Johnny,” it repeated, louder and louder.
Breaking the silence of an audience that watched the home side enter the second period facing a 2-0 deficit, Johnny Gaudreau broke out of his autumn awfulness with goals two minutes apart that seemed to change everything.
From that point on he danced and pranced around a reeling Dallas Stars club that threw all they could at stopping the shifty winger.
At one point it appeared No. 13 put the Flames up 3-2 early in the third before a Kari Lehtonen pad got in the way of a brilliant backhand spin-o-rama from behind the net Gaudreau almost tucked home. It was his sixth shot of the game.
Yes, Johnny finally got his mojo back.
Problem being, nothing else changed about the struggling Flames, who wound up losing 4-2, thanks to yet another game-losing showing from the special team units.
“It’s nice to find the net, but that’s not what the game is about — it’s about winning as a team,” said Gaudreau, who now has four goals and 10 points in 15 games. “It’s a tough loss for us.” They seem to be getting tougher for a team that is now 5-9-1, as they were a month into last year’s lost season.
Not only did the penalty killers cough up the game-winner early in the third, but the power play failed to convert in the final three minutes with the game hanging in the balance.
That’s partly on Gaudreau whose club has yet to score a power play goal at home this season, going 0-for-26. Shameful. Humiliating. Unacceptable.
And maybe, as game star Jamie Benn hinted, the reason is simple.
“(Gaudreau) is no surprise anymore, every team knows who he is and he’s a player you have to focus on in these games or he’ll hurt you pretty quick, and he did that tonight,” said Benn, who scored twice including the gamewinner.
“He’s a good little player and has lots of skill. He was feeling it there in the second and found a way to get two pretty quick there. But we managed to stay alive and shut them down the rest of the game and take advantage of the power play in the third for the win.”
Flames coach Glen Gulutzan spent two full days of practice emphasizing and working on the club’s last-ranked special teams, only to see it be the team’s undoing once again.
Patience is wearing thin all around.
“Obviously Johnny’s two goals are great, but we needed the kill and a goal in the third,” said Gulutzan.
“We’re finding ways to lose. We need somebody to step up now and find a way to win, and stop playing the victim. We have to find that from within our lockerroom.”
Gaudreau did his part, as Flames hockey operations president Brian Burke urged earlier in the week, but it’ll clearly take more to right this ship.
“It’s difficult — we get the power play there with two or three minutes left and we worked on special teams the last few days because we know how important it is,” said Gaudreau.
“We gave up one on the penalty kill and didn’t score on the power play.
“I guess we have to keep working at that, and try to get better because that helps win games.”
So does having the team’s stars play like it.
One step forward, overshadowed by yet a few more back.