2	1	2	5
	1	0	0	1

Couple of days late on this, but it doesn’t really matter. We’ve got a week. Plus, I don’t have many thoughts, since I missed the first period because of class. Scoresheet link goes here, bullet-point nonsense goes here:

• Maybe Calgary’s best overall defensive effort. Gave up just two shots in the second period, and eight with the Rebels against the ropes, fighting for their season, including some pitch-perfect trapping between the halfway mark of the third and the pulling of Bartosak with 2:30 to go.
• I didn’t see it live, but I did see the second goal on the replay at the end of the first intermission, and was massively impressed by Victor Rask doing about 10 seconds of dancing along the blue line, deking multiple Rebels before setting up the play that created Zane Jones’s goal. One of those times where the secondary assist really did most of the work.
• The fans had great fun taunting Brent Sutter in the third. “Get ready for the farm, Sutter!” “Start the combine, Sutter!” My mom, who remained unimpressed after Sutter spent the entire anthem talking to a colleague way back in the preseason, was pleased. There were also the requisite “START THE BUS” signs and “Na na na na hey hey hey goodbye” chants as the two empty-netters assured our spot in the conference finals.
• No Timbits for five goals. Either the promo’s over or the team recognized that those last two goals were kind of bogus. No matter.

Series preview against Edmonton goes here. Go Hitmen!

	4	2	1	3	5	4
	2	1	2	2	1	1

	1	1	0	2
	1	0	0	1

Real life intervened, which is why there’s a day and a half delay between the game and the post-game. On the plus side, up-to-date info yay.

• Obvious story first: I couldn’t see the hit live, and the only replay we saw in the arena didn’t really give a good indication of point of contact. I initially thought it was an interference call, because it looked like Padakin just went down awkwardly. At least one official caught the knee, though, and now it’s being reviewed for supplemental discipline. Small comfort: Padakin’s likely gone for the playoffs, and while he’s no Rask or Sylvester, he’s a top PKer and tallied 22 times during the regular season. The effect of that injury may not be fully clear until future rounds where, should the Hitmen advance, they’ll face much deeper competition.
• Fun micro-narrative in action: midway through the first period, Colten Mayor gets nailed for retaliating. Within 30 seconds of his release from the box, Red Deer’s Brady Gaudet rocks him from behind, then grabs him by the sweater as if to goad him into a fight. Gaudet then shoves Mayor to the ice when he refuses to oblige, and gets whistled for two himself. Lesson learned.
• Despite dominating play (interrupted and subsequently uninspiring five-minute PP notwithstanding), the Hitmen were only tied at one late in the second thanks to a much stronger performance from Patrik Bartosak than last night’s. Now, during each of the Game 1s this post-season, my mom had left the arena for portions of the first period to close real estate deals; during both absences, the Hitmen scored multiple times. Our usher joked with us that she should high-tail it again if the score was close late in the period. She made an excuse at the last TV timeout, made a phone call from the concourse, and shortly thereafter, Victor Rask scored the game winner. I turned and immediately pointed at the usher after the puck went in.
• Going back to that major penalty for a second, there are few things more entertaining than Brent Sutter turning beet red and losing his everloving mind on a referee.
• There are few things less entertaining than Brent Sutter trying to get an extra line change, getting caught, being slow to restore the correct players, and not getting dinged for delay of game. Veteran savvy, or something.
• While Padakin will be missed on the PK, Cody Sylvester had a pair of five-bell chances shorthanded that he just couldn’t quite cash in. It reminded me of early in the season, when everything he touched went in the net. Heck, it reminded me of the 3v5 goal he scored a couple of months ago.
• I’ve already said all I need to say about playoff officiating. Let’s just say it was another night like that and move right along.
• I noted with amusement at one point that there was a fan in attendance wearing a Penguins blue third jersey with Jarome Iginla’s #12 on it already. Were there any Islanders “SMYTH 94″ jerseys at Rexall after that deal? I have no love for the Flames, but I kind of feel for the fans in this one specific instance. Been there, done that. =(
• And finally, apologies to rookie Elliott Peterson, who scored the first goal of the game less than a minute in; apparently, I’ve been spelling his surname wrong all season, something I realized by reading his nameplate at one point during the game. It’s gonna take weeks to fix my autocorrect now.

Games 3 and 4 go tomorrow and Tuesday in Red Deer. Hopefully, that’s all that’s needed. Go Hitmen.