Flames’ injuries revealed following second round exit

By Dhiren MahibanMay 13, 2015, 9:45 AM EDT
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On Tuesday the Calgary Flames did their final formal media availability prior to going their separate ways for the summer.

The Flames were bounced in five games of the second round after surprising many by even qualifying for the postseason.

The toll of making the playoffs, and then dispatching the Vancouver Canucks in six games of the first round, did number on the Flames injury-wise and on Tuesday the laundry list was revealed.

“There’s a lot of guys who put a lot into it really banged up and played with a lot of stuff,” GM Brad Treliving said per The Calgary Sun. “That’s just how it is. They’ve got to play through that stuff. I thought they did a marvelous job.”

Among the injured was center Sean Monahan. The 20-year-old, who had three goals and six points in 11 playoff games battled a groin issue along with a back injury.

“I had a sore leg for a little bit and a couple other bumps and bruises but nothing too severe,” said Monahan downplaying his ailments.

Jiri Hudler, the club’s regular season points leader, had neck and back problems stemming from hits he took prior to the playoffs.

Defenseman T.J. Brodie played on a sprained ankle suffered on March 5 against Boston.

Micheal Ferland suffered a torn oblique muscle in the Flames’ Game 4 victory over the Canucks.

Josh Jooris had a wrist injury for much of the second half of the season.

Paul Byron, who hadn’t played since March 27, has already had surgery for a sports hernia. He also had a procedure done on his wrist and a broken toe.

Joe Colborne suffered a thumb injury on a slash from Brad Richardson during the Vancouver series. He also has a lingering wrist tendon issue, which he’ll get looked at by a specialist in Vancouver.

Lance Bouma, who returned for the final two games of the playoffs, revealed he had eight screws and a plate put into a shattered finger after he blocked a shot on April 7.

Related: Giordano extension ‘No. 1′ priority for Flames; decision pending on Ramo

Ducks power play strikes to push Flames to brink of elimination

By Cam TuckerMay 9, 2015, 12:31 AM EDT
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In what was a physical, chippy game on Friday, an undisciplined penalty proved costly for the Calgary Flames, who are now facing elimination.

At the end of the second period, Flames forward Joe Colborne got his stick up on Francois Beauchemin while trying to finish his check, resulting in a four-minute power play for the Ducks. And the Anaheim power play made Colborne and the Flames pay.

Just 1:11 into the third period, Matt Beleskey scored on that power play to give the Ducks the lead. That goal stood as the winner. Anaheim went on to win by a final score of 4-2, taking a 3-1 series lead.

“Frustrating,” Colborne told Sportsnet.ca. “Just trying to (walk) that line of being physical. I’m not going to comment on whether I liked (the call) or not, but that’s on me. I definitely let the boys down there.”

The Flames, who were also unsuccessful on a five-on-three power play in the third period when they were trailing by a goal, entered this series as the underdog. They’ll now need a massive comeback — they made a habit of doing that in third periods during the regular season — if they are to have any chance of getting back into this.

After falling behind a goal less than four minutes into the game, the Flames wasted no time battling back. The first six minutes featured three goals, with Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland scoring 1:07 apart to give Calgary the lead.

The second period featured numerous turning points.

Frederik Andersen made a sprawling glove save on Johnny Gaudreau to keep it a one-goal game. It was a huge stop. Later in the period, Gaudreau was guilty of a turnover right in front of his own net, directly leading to Andrew Cogliano’s tying goal.

Game 5 goes Sunday in Anaheim.

 

With Getzlaf and Perry ‘dominating,’ Flames look for answers

By Mike HalfordMay 7, 2015, 12:12 PM EDT
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In light of all the talk about low scoring and lack of offense in these Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s worth pointing out that Anaheim’s dynamic duo of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf is on a pretty healthy tear this round — the two have combined to score 15 points in three games versus Calgary, an average of 1.6 per period.

Not per game. Per period.

Needless to say, much of the Flames’ talk prior to tomorrow’s Game 4 was about slowing those two down.

“You see guys like Getzlaf and Perry dominating the game at times,” Joe Colborne explained, per the Toronto Star. “When they’re using their big bodies and putting pressure on some of our smaller guys, we have to pick up our game and answer.”

Colborne’s words speak volumes. The Calgary defense, which was a huge factor against Vancouver in Round 1, has seen its lack of size get exposed against the Ducks; Kris Russell (5-foot-10, 173 pounds), Dennis Wideman (6-foot, 200 pounds) and TJ Brodie (6-foot-1, 182 pounds) are all giving up significant height and weight to Perry and Getzlaf, who skate on a line with another big body in 6-foot-2, 231-pound Patrick Maroon (who, it should be mentioned, has two goals in three games against Calgary.)

And make no mistake — Anaheim knows it has a definitive size advantage on the Flames.

“We’ve got to use it,” Ryan Kesler said, per the L.A. Times. “We know what made us successful this year. It’s playing that down-below-the-circle hockey, and cycling the puck and wearing them down, and if we do that we’ll be fine.”

While the Flames don’t have a ton of solutions for the size problem — it’s not like they’re going to get any bigger — head coach Bob Hartley did see some positives in the Game 3 win. Specifically? Unlike in the opening two games in Anaheim, his was no longer in awe of the Ducks’ size, speed and skill.

“It seems that the admiration for the Ducks is kind of winding down,” he said, per the Calgary Herald. “That’s good news for us.”

Video: Flames stun Ducks in OT to get back in the series

By Cam TuckerMay 6, 2015, 12:56 AM EDT
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The comeback kids from Calgary have done it again.

The Flames were 20 seconds away from going down 3-0 in their second-round series to the Anaheim Ducks. They had what appeared to be the tying goal disallowed due to inconclusive evidence minutes earlier in the third period.

But third period comebacks have become the Flames’ calling card this season. And they pulled off another in Game 3 against the Ducks on Tuesday, defeating the visitors 4-3 in overtime to get back in the series. Playing the role of massive underdog, the Flames are still behind 2-1 in the series, but they have a win, with another game on home ice to try and even things up.

Johnny Gaudreau buried a perfect shot on a five-on-three with 19 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. In the extra period, Mikael Backlund won it with a delayed penalty coming to the Ducks.

Yet it looked at times like the Flames might be their own worst enemy.

They got off to a perfect start, with Brandon Bollig giving them the lead 2:07 into the first period. But the Ducks countered on goals from Patrick Maroon and Corey Perry to go ahead.

Flames’ forward Joe Colborne tied the game in the second period with his first career playoff goal — a beauty, short-handed — but Calgary wasn’t able to build momentum and the Ducks once again took the lead just over four minutes later.

And then there was the controversial no-goal call. Sam Bennett’s shot hit off the pad of Frederik Andersen right along the goal line, but a video review couldn’t find definitive evidence to deem it a goal.

There was enough working against the Flames. But, like they’ve done throughout this season, they came back to earn a huge victory.

Video: Colborne schools Andersen on short-handed breakaway

By Cam TuckerMay 5, 2015, 11:41 PM EDT
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Joe Colborne’s first career Stanley Cup playoff goal was a beauty, but unfortunately for him, the Calgary Flames failed to generate any real momentum from it.

During a Ducks power play, Colborne picked up a loose puck at the Calgary blue line, went in alone, faked backhand and slid the puck by Frederik Andersen with a slick move to the forehand, tying the game at 2-2 in the second period.

Just 4:03 later, Matt Beleskey restored the Anaheim lead. Similar story in the first period. Brandon Bollig scored for Calgary just 2:07 into the game. However, what was a perfect start on home ice for the Flames evaporated almost as quickly, with Patrick Maroon and Corey Perry scoring to give the Ducks the lead.