After a week off, the Flames look as though they didn't skip a beat. To stick with musical analogies, it is clear that they actually picked up their tempo.
After defeating the tough Abbotsford Pilots last week, the Flames were able to squash the Port Moody Panthers, along with their three game win streak, five to nothing. With the win, the Flames have now won three of their last four games, outscoring their opponents by a total of 16-9. Almost doubling the opposition in goals for.
Tonight the Flames saw five different goal scoring contributors. The scorers, in order, are as follows: Strelezki (PP), Alder (PP), Howell, Rendle, and Crompton. Not to mention a trio of assists from number eighteen, Boston Colley. It is great to see scoring by committee. There have been a few players that have stood out a little more than the rest, but this is a four line team, and that was proven tonight.
There are two major points that jump out from the game against the Panthers.
1) 100% On the Penalty Kill
The Flames went faced seven occasions of killing off a disadvantage. On all seven penalty kills, the Flames successfully killed it off. One of which was also a five-on-three deficit. If it didn't take hours on end to re watch every game this season, I would rewind and tally how many blocked shots the Flames have this season. It seems like there are at least ten blocked shots a game, and that's a minimal estimate. To go seven for seven chances killed off at any level of hockey is impressive. Coach Jamie Fiset added that "When on the penalty kill, I'm not scared or notice a difference in game play."
If this trend of perfect (or at least close to perfect) penalty killing continues, the Flames have a deadly weapon in their possession.
2) SHUTOUT!
Mr. Kurt Klimek should be more than proud of his performance tonight. Stopping close to thirty shots, facing said penalty kills, and tending a team that lead the momentum for almost the entirety of sixty minutes are not easy things to do. He's agile, he stands tall in the net, even though he stands short at around five feet seven inches on a good day, and he knows how to play his position. Kurt is a feisty guy at times, but as I've referenced previously, sometimes that equals an over empowerment of passion. I'm a superstitious person, and I zipped my lips when saying the word shutout, but when that final buzzer went, it felt great to express my excitement for Klimek's accomplishment. When Kurt is on, he is on, and tonight he flicked the switch, proving why he deserves to be in that net for the Ridge Meadows Flames.
The Flames have a busy week, as they are back on the ice tomorrow night in North Vancouver to take on the Wolf Pack, and look to put a stop to their seven game winning streak.
Ridge Meadows also take on the Sockeyes Thursday at Richmond Arena.
Feel free to dress up if you are visiting the Cam Neely for the next home game, as it will be Halloween Night hockey action against the Grandview Steelers.
The week has a lot to hold, but after the win tonight the Flames jump from fifth to second place in the Harold Brittain Conference, and look to gain some ground on the first place Langley Knights.
Adding Fuel to the Flames,
Tyler Lippingwell
