"Hello? Hockey Gods? I Have Two Wishes Tonight..."

Today all three top teams fighting for top slot in the North West Division are on the ice in their battle gear. Calgary is facing Colorado this evening for what should prove to be quite an emotional game. As is stands right now the Flames have one game in hand and a point to stand on, while Vancouver trails by only one single point after adding one due to our overtime period and shoot out (We Won!) against them for Saturday's Hockey Night In Canada game. They will be hosting Nashville this evening and since at this point in the game the Predators are no threat to me, you can guess what I would appreciate as an outcome.

The most important game tonight however, is the one we're playing. It amazes me this year how well Colorado is doing after their incredible defeat just one season ago. You can never assume how a team is going to play, who will score and what the outcome will be. So tonight we start with three quick fights brought to you by Regher, McGrattan and Prust. I laughed when the last fight broke out as Prust has been fighting non-stop for the last while. He reminds me of a kid at the bar who has consumed a few too many tequila shots and a bit of an ego; you say one word and he'll drop his gloves. I say let him, he's old enough to fend for himself and if he has the courage to push his team with motivational fist pumps then there is no wrong done.

With a quick burst and a fancy wrist pass from Langkow, Bourque scores! We head to the dressing room for the 1st intermission with a 1-0 lead which is something that the Flames must maintain and build on for the rest of this game. Although thus far it doesn't seem like this particular duel will be as exciting and intense as our Saturday game against Vancouver, we are still playing a fast paced and focused game.

Meanwhile, I am currently listening to the Nashville/Vancouver battle and I am pleasantly relieved to find that halfway through the first twenty minutes of play that the Predators have obtained a 1-0 lead to match the Flames' score against the Avalanche. Knowing full well that this is nothing to make a fuss about quite yet but a nice cushion to rest on while reaching forward is most beneficial. And before I speak too soon there we have it, folks. 2-2 in the Vancouver/Nashville game and everyone is at a standstill. We are giving away far too many penalties and unfortunately this last one left us with a score of 2-1. And then before I blink it's 2-2. All in all, both games tied and dead-locked. Time is ticking and we're running out of the stamina we flew onto the ice with. Both games rushing back and forth, losing the puck, gaining it back, ROBBED. And the buzzer goes ending Calgary's regulation time. Luckily we start with a Power Play and off we go.

But wait! Another penalty with 19 seconds left in the last? We're five on three with less than twenty seconds and then back to a man advantage, which we give up on too easily with focus on pretty passes and jumbled stick handling. This back and forth between listening to the Canucks/Nashville game during whistles and commercials has convinced me that at some point I will be found in my Flames jersey, beer in hand - Dead. Heart Attack. Our PP is over and time is dwindling down, a shoot out could very possibly become our near future. Shoot out sounds nicer than sudden death anyhow, wouldn't you say?

And what do you know...

Shoot outs again! Here we go!

Hejduk: Scores.
Dawes: No Goal.
Shane: NO GOAL!
Jokinen: SCORES!
Stewart: Scores.
Lundmark: Stalls and loses the puck without a shot at all... and loses the game for the Flames tonight. (Danielle did mention that Dawes didn't score either and that all of the pressure shouldn't be on Lundmark. Fair enough, I said.)

Let me just take my minute to talk about how I detest fancy moves during your 15 seconds of fame. There is no reason to start skating before you have a plan. Top corner? Five hole? I don't care what it is but you pick and you skate. You cannot stall halfway through a shoot out attempt and expect to regain your composure....

Confidence, boys! The same guys who scored 3/3 last game cannot score 3/3 every time, this is what I do know. What I do NOT know is why we have regressed back to the team we were in 2005 and 2006. We are not figure skaters! We are not a circus act! We are #1 in the North West Division! We are giving our opponents too much time and they are watching our every move. When your second has passed you can never get it back. Jamie Lundmark...you didn't lose this game for your team. Be confident. Next time.

However, Vancouver lost after the predators scored with just over four minutes left in the third. The Canucks had some close calls to tie it up for the possibility of an OT sudden death five minute rendez-vous but couldn't seal the deal. Isn't that the bright side? I would, however, still like to have a word with the Hockey Gods. Half a wish granted is such a tease!

GO FLAMES GO!

T