Something strange happened at the Dome last night.
There were cheers.
Chants even.
After weeks of consternation, peppered with catcalls and boos throughout many of their recent home dates, the Flames earned uproarious praise last night.
As part of the latest twist in the Flames seasonal drama, the lads were cheered off the ice after taking a 2-0 lead over San Jose into the first intermission.
After upping their lead to 4-1 in the second the masses broke into an unabashed “Go Flames Go.”
Just like old times — ya know, before the Slide n’ Purge of 2010.
The mood was such that the locals even threw a few fists in the air in support of “Pretend to be an NHL Team Night” at Rexall Place, where the Oilers’ early 2-0 lead over Detroit drew love. And hope.
The roof damn near blew off the joint shortly after Jarome Iginla — whose leadership has been endlessly questioned of late — ceremoniously doffed his lid before getting the best of Ryane Clowe in a fight that capped a joyous second period.
Following an unprecedented amount of chatter doubting virtually everything Iginla brings to the table, the scrap-capper came by way of the age-old “Ig-gy, Ig-gy” chant so desperately missing from these parts of late.
Taking advantage of the type of Sharks swoon they are all-too-familiar with this season, the Flames kick-started Bizarro Night in Alberta (yes, the Oilers won 3-2 in a shootout) with a 4-3 win. It wound up with the Flames matching Detroit in points (81), but the Wings stay ahead for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with a game in hand.
The Flames did it with a four-line effort highlighted by the likes of Mikael Backlund, Jamal Mayers, Nigel Dawes and Eric Nystrom.
“Tonight, we did a good job getting the crowd into the game, and that’s what we’ve got to do as players — energize the building,” said Nystrom, who made headlines days earlier when he lamented the fact his club had heard the increasing series of boos the team has so clearly earned as part of its 18-16-3 journey at home this year.
“It’s amazing when they get behind us, because the building can be very loud and tough to play in. We haven’t played that great at home this year so I guess we need to get 4-0 leads for that to happen. They deserve that.”
Guess last night’s love-in was hockey’s version of kissing and making up. For now, anyway.
And that helps explain the euphoric third-period reprise of Sweet Caroline during which the C of Red bop-bop-bopped loud and proud before Neil Diamond sang of how “Good times never seemed so good.”
Granted, the Sharks played late the night before in Vancouver and were already sporting the league’s worst Olympic hangover with five straight losses now.
Still, this was the club that handed Calgary a 9-1 spanking the last time they met, adding further fuel to a Flames fire many suggested would be doused by way of the toughest schedule in the West.
That schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Flames (or any harder for the Wings), but last night went a long way towards fortifying the ranks who seemed to be closing in on the club from all angles of late.
Still, it couldn’t have been easy to stymie the boos that have come all too easy of late when Dan Boyle made it a one-goal game late with the Sharks goalie pulled.
However, minutes later, the sigh of relief came in the form of an explosion of noise that sent the Flames off to Minnesota for tomorrow afternoon’s game with a well-earned jump in their step. Crucial, as every step — or misstep — now dictates the mood of an entire city.
eric.francis@sunmedia.ca
