Comeback capped with huge win in overtime
Improbable comeback victory kicks off key homestand as playoff push heats up
Ever since the Calgary Flames arrived back in town, the subject has been kept quiet.
When brought up or questioned for the umpteenth time, it had been immediately dismissed because, don’t you already know? The answers are obvious.
The team has struggled at Scotiabank Saddledome. Period.
But, before Wednesday’s clash against the Columbus Blue Jackets — the first outing for the Flames in a five-game homestand and the first of 11 at home among the last 15 dates on the schedule — interim head coach Geoff Ward indicated the solution to improving their fortunes on home ice is right in front of them.
“Just play our game,” Ward said curtly after the team’s morning skate.
Go on …
“You know,” Ward added. “You’ve been watching us.”
The problem is, the 2019-20 regular season has been a tale of two teams.
The road Flames have been dominant.
The home Flames, well, not so dominant. It was looking like the latter had shown up, as per usual in Calgary.
Instead, Matthew Tkachuk scored with 1:43 remaining in regulation time and an extra attacker on the ice to knot the score at 2-2 when he tipped in Mark Giordano’s shot. That added to a late surge that was ignited by Elias Lindholm’s 29th goal of the season just past the midway mark of the third period to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Then, against the limping Columbus Blue Jackets, the unexplainable happened.
Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan worked the puck during overtime, tuckering out their opponents and netminder Joonas Korpisalo just enough for TJ Brodie to jump on a loose puck and pot the winner.
A 3-2 win for the Flames? At home?
Stunning.
“It’s a good opportunity to have our fans behind us,” Monahan said earlier in the day. “Every game matters right now, we need as many points as we can get.
The West is tight right now, and obviously, the Pacific (Division) is real tight.
“There are teams that are coming from behind and we’re playing a few of those teams. We have to step up and be ready.”
The thing was, they weren’t ready. Not at all.
The Blue Jackets scored on the first shot directed toward Flames goalie Cam Talbot, a blooper that slipped through his right pad and Devin Shore’s first goal with his new squad.
A few minutes later, a pass by Mikael Backlund at centre ice was intercepted by Pierre-luc Dubois and he fired the puck back into Calgary’s zone, sending Nick Foligno and Gustav Nyquist in alone. Talbot played the passer but couldn’t get across the net fast enough to stop Nyquist.
All of a sudden, the Blue Jackets had a two-goal lead with just 11:20 elapsed in the game. That meant there was 48:40 remaining to mount a comeback.
And it wasn’t looking like the Flames would rally until Lindholm flipped the script and the momentum turned completely.
Then, Talbot left his net with 2:25 remaining, and seconds later, the Flames found themselves with an offensive zone faceoff with an extra attacker.
Shortly after that, the Flames made a game out of it.
Interesting, because until that point, they showed signs of the same old, same old.
Their numbers were fascinating up until that point, trailing in take-aways and blocked shots and leading in giveaways. Hardly the direct style of game Ward had preached about earlier in the week during their first practice back after a successful five-game road trip that saw them claim seven of a possible 10 points.
No wonder he’s getting sick of answering questions about their home record.
But that home record improved on Wednesday to 15-12-4 — despite the team having recorded just two wins in eight chances since the NHL all-star break. Their last victory came on Feb.
17, an eventual 6-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks that saw them down 3-1 entering the third period.
One home game down, only 10 more to go.
“I don’t know what the key is,” Monahan said, as befuddled as everyone about their lack of lustre in Calgary. “But right now, we’re in a battle for a playoff spot. Every shift matters, everything you do out there on the ice is going to come into play.
“Everyone has to step up and play a role to win games.”
The Flames improved to 35-26-7 overall with the win, good enough for 77 points and third place in the Pacific Division behind the Edmonton Oilers and ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.
Tkachuk, by the way, absorbed a shot from Zach Werenski on the inside of his right knee during the first period. It looked problematic as Tkachuk hobbled to the boards and down the tunnel briefly. But he missed very little action and played the remainder of the game, albeit skating gingerly at times.