Red-hot roll continues with big win over Habs
Goalie Elliott gets first shutout as Flame as team’s win streak reaches eight games
Eight straight.
The Calgary Flames continued their red-hot roll and forced a revision to the local record books with Thursday’s 5-0 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens at the Saddledome.
The Flames not only extended their current tear to eight consecutive wins, they equalled the longest such spree in the 37 years since the franchise moved north from Atlanta.
“Anytime you’re part of these streaks and you can say that we matched the longest one in history … It’s a big accomplishment,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano. “Last year, we did 11 at home ... and it feels good to be a part of those streaks. You’re doing something right. But this one feels a lot better because of the situation we are in and what it means for playoffs.”
What it means in the playoff race is the Flames (37-26-4) now have as many points as the Edmonton Oilers, although their archrivals are sitting third in the Pacific Division because they have one game in hand.
What it means in the history books is that the Flames’ current sizzler is, officially, an all-timer.
The 1988-89 Flames rolled to eight in a row during their Stanley Cup-winning campaign.
The 1992-93 edition would repeat that feat, while Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff co-starred in an eight-game run in November 2005.
Now, Gio and Moose, Johnny and Monny, Backs and Chucky and the rest of the current cast have earned their own slice of history.
They’ll be shooting for sole possession of that club mark in Saturday’s road meeting with the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre.
“We can’t be satisfied with it, but we’re playing well right now. We’re playing as a group,” said Flames alternate captain Sean Monahan.
“When you’re coming to the rink every day and it’s fun like this, it makes you want to keep building on it. As a group right now, we’re doing that.”
Question is, will the Flames have a full complement of backenders in Winnipeg?
Thursday’s celebrations came with a side of concern after a pair of key defencemen — Dougie Hamilton and Michael Stone — departed early due to injuries.
Hamilton exited with a lowerbody ailment after he was tangled along the boards with Andreas Martinsen late in the second, while Stone seemed to be favouring a shoulder as he retreated to the locker-room after a collision about five minutes into the third.
That’s the only thing that didn’t go Calgary’s way on this night.
“I would say, out of the eight, that’s the most complete,” Giordano said.
“And probably one of our better games all year.”
Johnny Gaudreau led Thursday’s blowout with a goal and three assists, while Giordano, Stone, Monahan and Micheal Ferland also scored and Brian Elliott delivered a 24-save shutout for his first goose-egg in Calgary’s colours.
You need some breaks to enjoy an extended roll at hockey’s highest level and the Flames lucked out Thursday when Montreal’s superstar puck-stopper Carey Price was scratched due to the flu.
The hosts greeted goalie Al Montoya with a barrage of 16 shots on net in the opening stanza, although Giordano was the only guy to put a puck behind him, ripping a wrister just inside the iron after a dandy setup by rookie Matthew Tkachuk.
Stone sparked a second-period outburst with his first tally in Flames silks.
Troy Brouwer provided the screen, while Gaudreau collected an assist and also fetched the keepsake puck for the former Calgary Hitmen standout.
The way Elliott has been slamming the door, a two-goal lead probably would have been plenty, but his pals would provide extra cushion with a pair of lamp-lightings in a 26-second span to turn this one into a rout.
After Stone’s shot from the point was blocked, Monahan buried a gimme from point-blank range.
That tally hadn’t even been announced when Gaudreau found Ferland with a sneaky saucer pass and the bruiser picked the top shelf for his sixth goal in eight games since being promoted to Calgary’s top line.
Gaudreau would round out the scoring with less than four minutes remaining in the final frame and the hosts would help Elliott seal the you-know-what.
“I don’t think we turned the puck over in the third. We just wanted to make sure that we were playing the right way the whole way,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan.
“Nobody says (shutout) on the bench.
“Nobody says the word. But everybody knew what we were playing for.”
Anytime you’re part of these streaks and you can say that we matched the longest one in history … It’s a big accomplishment.