Bravs Hockey Blog

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

After losing the first game 6-0 the Calgary Flames came into the game with something to prove. With most of the media and the so-called NHL experts writing the Canucks off before the season started as a team that would be at the bottom of the league the Flames were expected to sweep Vancouver in the home-and-home games to start the season.

Calgary came into tonights game hitting hard and skating fast and really put the pressure on the Canucks early when they scored 3 unanswered goals to go up 3-1 in the first period. Even though it ended up being a loss the Calgary Flames played one hell of a game and could have easily won the game. If it wasnt for a lucky break by the Canucks when a trip by Alex Burrows wasnt called that resulted in Pavel Demitra scoring his first as a Canuck and the game winner in OT, Calgary could very well have won this rematch.

This was a fast paced, hard hitting and very entertaining game. It doesnt matter what team you were rooting for, you have to be happy with the entertainment value of the game and the effort both sides put in.

My choice for players of the game?

Jerome Iginla. He was all over the ice, hitting hard and shooting lots. Plus he won a fight when he and Mitchell dropped the gloves and Jerome won the bout when her connected a good hard right hook and dropped the big Canucks defenseman.

The Twins. Both Sedins were dominating tonight. Anyone that watched the game would have to agree.

The last player of the game is a toss-up between Phaneuf and Rypien. On one side Phaneuf had a way better game tonight, hitting hard and playing the style everyone is used to seeing. On the other side Rypien won a fight when he pummelled Brandon Prust with hit after hit and scored a goal for the second game in a row.

Some side notes on tonights game. It was a great to see Demitra score his first goal as a Canuck. You could see the relief when Demitra celebrated the goal.

It looks like Bertuzzi is back to his dirty playing. The worse example was when he elbowed one of the Sedins from behind in the 3rd period, there was no call. Shortly after that incident Todd Bertuzzi pushed Ryan Johnson from behind into the boards. Even though there was some embellishment on the part of Johnson a penalty was called.

Great game. Canucks won!