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 The NHL's longest current winning spree is the end result for a
team way down in the standings.
The Flames blew a two-goal third-period lead, but center Mikael
Backlund scored the winner to give the Flames a 4-3 overtime victory
over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Calgary cobbled together a perfect five-game homestand — its
longest winning streak since March 2012 — thanks to Backlund's
second tally of the game halfway through the extra period. This is a
team that had a club record seven-game home losing skid just before
this run.
"It's a great feeling. Everybody's happy and guys are buzzing in
here, having a great time with each other," said Backlund who is on
the best run of his career with five goals and eight points in four
games. "It's a lot nicer to win, especially at home with your
family. Losing seven games (at home) was tough, you bring a little
too much of it home, I know I did, so it's nice to win."
Flames left winger TJ Galiardi and defenseman Dennis Wideman both
scissored horrible scoring power outages to kick off their attack.
Galiardi snapped a 37-game scoring slump — his last goal came in
the second game of the season — to open the scoring before the
announced Scotiabank Saddledome crowd of 19,289. Wideman scored for
the first time since Nov. 16, a stretch in which he was blanked in
14 games and missed another 16 due to a broken bone in his hand.
"Everyone knows it's been a long time. I'm just happy it's over
with," said Galiardi, who had a two-point outing.
When Backlund potted a short-handed goal early in the third period
to make it a 3-1 game, everyone figured this one was done and
dusted, however, the Wild came back thanks to goals by right winger
Dany Heatley and defenseman Keith Ballard.
"It's a big point, no question, but starts have cost us the last two
games," Heatley said. "I think we're not as aggressive coming out. I
think in the thirds the last two nights, we're tight on teams, we're
skating better, we're playing five guys on the forecheck. We're a
good team when we do that. The first two periods of the last two
games, it's kind of 'wait and see' and like that we're not going to
have success."
Left winger Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, while goalie Darcy
Kuemper stopped 28 shots in defeat.
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Flames starting goalie Karri Ramo left the game late in the first
period after suffering a lower-body injury, and Reto Berra made 14
saves in relief for the win.
Curiously, none of Berra's seven wins this season have come in
regulation time.
It was billed as Western Night, but the Flames made a late switch
with their attire. They were supposed to don the new third jerseys,
but having lost all eight games this season when wearing them, the
team changed to the regular sweaters.
"I talked to Brian (Burke, the team's president of hockey
operations) and I said, 'We're playing so well right now. Can we
just keep going?'" coach Bob Hartley said. "Brian said 'Let me
check,' and he got back to me and said, 'Yeah, I can help you that
way.'
"Little superstitions, sometimes they work and sometimes they
don't."
NOTES: Flames LW Michael Cammalleri returned after missing nine
games because of a concussion suffered on Jan. 11. To make room for
him in the lineup, LW TJ Galiardi was moved to center on the fourth
line and C Ben Street was a healthy scratch. ... Wild LW Zach Parise
was named captain of the U.S. Olympic team that will compete in
Sochi and D Ryan Suter was named as one of the alternate captains.
Both are alternate captains for Minnesota. ... Calgary D Kris
Russell was a late scratch because of an upper-body injury. D Chris
Breen played his first NHL since Dec. 27. ... With the Flames having
both members of their truculence duo — RW Brian McGrattan and RW
Kevin Westgarth — in the lineup, Minnesota opted to suit up LW Mike
Rupp in favor of C Torrey Mitchell. ... Wild D Jared Spurgeon (foot)
is back practicing fully with the team but isn't quite ready to play
yet. ... The Flames had a five-game streak of two or fewer
penalties, collecting a total of 14 penalty minutes in those games,
but that run ended in a chippy affair ... Flames D Mark Giordano
earned a pair of assists to extend his point-scoring streak to nine
games, the longest run by a Flames blueliner since Gary Suter had a
13-game run in the 1992-93 campaign.
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