What a diff3erence a few days make.
It seems like Sunday the Calgary Flames were being threatened by the Calgary Flames for supremacy in the Pacific Division.
Mark Giordano picked up 60th point in win over Devils – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
Fat forward a few days and the Flames have won seven straight and hold a seven point lead in the division race and now lead the Western Conference.
“I think we are playing our best away from the puck,” Flames coach Bill Peters said. “I think we can make some more plays with the puck and be more direct to the net, but we’re playing well right now. We have a high-character group. They know how to play, how to play with the lead, and they know how to get the job done going into the third.”
Mark Giordano and Elias Lindholm scored for the Flames in the 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Wednesday night.
“I think a lot of guys on our team are having great offensive seasons because of the amount of goals we’re scoring,” Giordano said. “The way we play, we’re really aggressive but for me it’s the same. I try to come in and honestly do my job defensively and it starts from there.”
David Rittich made 19 saves to get the win.
“We’re winning so that’s good, but overall I think we can play better,” Lindholm said. “It’s going to be tighter and tighter in the upcoming weeks, so we’ll have to play better as the weeks go on.”
Calgary improved to 41-16-7.
Kevin Rooney scored the Devils lone goal.
“I don’t want to sound unsympathetic but we had to move on real quick there (after Mueller’s injury),” Andy Greene said. “You’re trying to battle it, though, because you feel bad for your friend, thinking about him the whole time. But at the same time you just have to wait and see what happens and play hard for him and go from there.”
The Devils dropped to 25-31-8.
[WATCH: All Flames vs. Devils highlights]
Mackenzie Blackwood made 33 saves in the loss.
Note: Mirco Mueller was stretchered off the ice after the crashing the boards head first early in the third period.
“Mirco is fully conscious and all of his extremities are moving fine,” he said. “There are no issues,” Devils head coach John Hynes said. “Mentally he was fine. He sat up before he left the arena for the hospital, and had full awareness of what was going on.”
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