CALGARY – Not only did the Calgary Flames extend their lead atop the West, they may also have found a solution to their playoff goaltending quandary.
His name: Mark Giordano.
Late in the second period of Tuesday’s 4-2 win over a desperate Columbus crew, Giordano made a two-knee slide across his own goalie crease behind a scrambling David Rittich to deny a golden, net-side opportunity for Cam Atkinson.
As everyone at the Saddledome wondered if the puck was underneath Giordano and in the net, Rittich emerged from the pile holding the puck aloft with his bare hand, like a prized fish.
A review from Toronto proved inconclusive, confirming captain Giordano had saved the day on the same night he tied Robyn Regehr for the second most games played in Flames silks.
Yes, the Norris Trophy frontrunner really does do it all.
"It was kind of old school but I’m not surprised – look at his age," said Rittich when asked to critique Giordano’s stacked-pad technique.
"It was kind of like Nagano in ’98 – that save was there a lot of times. Hey, he saved a goal and without him it was 3-2 and you never know how it would go."
Instead, the Flames took a 3-1 lead into the third and held on with a series of blocked shots, timely saves and several shots off goal posts, prompting the ever-animated Rittich to kiss the iron behind him.
"No, she’s still good," laughed Rittich when asked if his wife will be jealous.
"I don’t know — you should ask the net about it. They hit the post, like, four times, so I was lucky today."
Lucky to have Giordano, and a whole host of selfless defencemen throwing themselves in front of point blasts, including a scary block off the back of Noah Hanifin’s head midway through the game. Concussion protocol and a few stitches later he was back on the bench before the end of the second, much to the surprise of his coach.
"I didn’t think he was going to come back until the start of the third but there he was with four minutes left in the second, back on the bench" said Bill Peters, whose squad faces Ottawa Thursday.
"The guys appreciate it and acknowledge it as it’s going on on the bench, and afterwards in the locker room they’re talking about it. Guys don’t want to miss a beat. It’s definitely a strength of our team and shows good resolve by our team. They want to be a part of it and want to make a difference."
That’s how you challenge for the conference title – players willing to do whatever it takes to win this time of year.
When the 35-year-old defenceman wasn’t tending the twine, Rittich was doing yet another fine job of it, turning aside 31 shots from the east’s eighth-place squad.
It marked Rittich’s fourth-straight win – all at home – giving him the most recent edge amongst makeshift Calgary oddsmakers to start the post-season as the Flames starter.
A debate for another day.
Earlier in the day Peters created another debate by asking reporters: "Would you rather pick your opponent or be healthy?"
His answer to his own question: "Be healthy."
It makes for an interesting discussion as the Flames sit three up on San Jose for the coveted Pacific crown with nine games left.
The strong desire to avoid surging Vegas and match up against a first-round wild card is very much at the forefront of the Flames’ minds. Yet, Peters also wants very much to give key players some rest down the stretch.
Giordano agrees with the sentiment.
With that in mind, Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett missed their second game in a row with ailments, opening the door for Curtis Lazar to make his season debut with the Flames, while Derek Ryan moved up to centre the top line once again.
Ryan was the catalyst for the Flames game-tying goal midway through the first, starting with a beautiful pass out of his own zone and ending it with a pass to Johnny Gaudreau in the slot that he buried for his 35th.
Ryan’s spectacularly winding road to the top line through the University of Alberta, Austria, Sweden and the AHL was at top of mind earlier in the day when the Flames announced they had signed fellow alumnus and U Sports player of the year, Luke Philp.
The two-year, entry-level deal for the 23-year-old Canmore, Alta., native starts next year where the right-handed centre will try to overcome similar odds to find his way to the NHL.
Andrew Mangiapane knows all about overcoming odds and continued to prove he’s an NHLer with a goal with eight seconds left in the first period, his fifth of the season.
Michael Frolik’s dirty dangle put the hosts up 3-1 35-seconds into the second, setting the stage for a tight third in which Oliver Bjorkstrand narrowed the gap with 15 minutes left. Matthew Tkachuk’s empty-netter in the final minute iced it and gave him 11 points in his last four home games.
Yet, all the talk afterward revolved around Giordano’s netminding technique.
"I loved playing goalie in road hockey but you get shelled one too many times on the ice as a young guy so most of us stop," laughed Giordano.
"It was just desperation – the guy had an open side but I was boxing Ritter out so it hit me and fell into him. It was a lucky play to be honest. Most of those usually find a way to bounce in off you."
Not the way things are going for the Flames this season, they don’t.
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