CALGARY, Alberta -- The four-day Canadian Olympic orientation camp wrapped up Thursday night with a scrimmage between the Red and White Teams at the Saddledome. Here's our period-by-period breakdown:
First period
Pierre LeBrun: Scott, it's a festive night here at the Saddledome as the Canadian Olympic camp wraps up with the Red-White scrimmage game. I must give a shout-out to a fan in the lower bowl who was holding a Heatley sign, "Dany, I don't blame you, I wouldn't want to play in Edmonton either." Of course, there's no love lost between Flames and Oilers fans.
Scott Burnside: Yes, fun night here. Only in Canada will 18,000 or so people pay good money to watch what is, in essence, a glorified practice. Nice nod to the Canadian Football League, as well. As many people know, the CFL for many years had two teams with the same name; the Red Team has two players wearing the same number, Dan Cleary and Jordan Staal who are both donning No. 11.
Roberto Luongo has a strong first period in Thursday's Red-White scrimmage game in Calgary.
LeBrun: Only one guy wearing No. 87, Sidney Crosby. And on the opening shift with Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla, they line had decent pressure in the opposing zone. But the first chance went to Brenden Morrow, who was thwarted from in close by Roberto Luongo. The crowd chanted, "Lou, Lou!" I thought we were in Calgary, not Vancouver.
Burnside: Nice early clinic put on by the guys most folks believe will be the top two netminders for the Canadian team. Luongo thwarted Jeff Carter and Milan Lucic on a 2-on-1, and then Martin Brodeur made a couple of great stops, including one on Jonathan Toews. Let's see how he does in the last 80 seconds.
LeBrun: Crosby is flying, robbed by a great glove save from Brodeur to keep it scoreless. Toews is also very noticeable. You know how badly he wants to make this team, and while some of the veteran guys are treating this like a practice, the Blackhawks captain is playing like he wants to impress.
Burnside: So we're late in the first period of this scrimmage, and while the pace has been frenetic (Crosby described the entire camp pace earlier in the day as being like the playoffs), there is one startling similarity between this group and the Canadian team in Torino four years ago -- no goals. Lots of chances, no finish so far. Of course, it is August and not February. Still...
LeBrun: Was thinking the same thing, Scotty. All this talent on the ice and no goals! At least we got a penalty with 1:24 left in the period; Jordan Staal ran over Luongo. More hitting than in an All-Star Game, that's for sure!
Burnside: Well, lots of excitement for a scoreless practice, that's for sure. First period ended with a ghastly turnover by Scott Niedermayer with his squad shorthanded. But a nice Eric Staal pass to Jason Spezza was denied by a grand Brodeur glove save. Good thing Niedermayer is a lock to make this team. When Spezza is left off the Canadian roster, wonder if anyone will bring up that miss. Probably not. Well, maybe.
LeBrun:Cam Ward replaces Luongo in the White goal, while Brodeur stays in for half the game on the Red side (five goalies). A few minutes in, we finally have a goal! And who else but Captain Canada, Ryan Smyth, with the opening tally. He used Vincent Lecavalier as a decoy on a 2-on-1 break and beat Brodeur with a change-up along the ice. Smyth was throwing his weight around just before the goal. He knows he has to open some eyes to make this team.
Burnside: Wonder how Lecavalier feels. He could also use some love to make this team. I know we've been critical of Heatley, and in some ways, he is the author of his own misfortune, asking for a trade out of Ottawa despite signing a long-term deal, etc. Still, it must hurt his feelings to be booed here tonight by fans from his hometown during a practice. Yikes. Hate to see how they'd treat him if he turned down a trade to the Flames.
LeBrun: The Red Team ties it at 1 on a gritty, lunch-bucket goal from the Jeff Carter-Mike Richards-Morrow line, as Carter slipped in a loose puck past Ward. That Richards/Morrow combo is here to stay. They play a mean game and they'll be together come Vancouver.
Burnside: If Carter had scored one like that in the first round of the playoffs, his Philadelphia Flyers might have beaten the eventual Stanley Cup champs from Pittsburgh.
LeBrun: Both teams have had power-play chances, but neither has been particularly impressive with the extra man. That's to be expected when you have a bunch of guys who have rarely played together before trying to digest a new power-play system in four days. Then try it out in front of 18,000 fans. Not pretty. Of course, they won't get to practice it until the eve of their first Olympic game in February. Gulp.
Burnside: Ouch. Poor Brent Seabrook. He wanted to make a long pass out of his own zone, reconsidered, fell down and then watched as Patrick Marleau stole the loose puck and beat Ward to give the Red Team a 2-1 lead. We know what executive director Steve Yzerman has been saying, how this night means nothing in terms of the selection process. But when you have a gaffe like that in front of 18,000 people, the national media and the Canadian Olympic brain trust, well, it's got to sting. Nice for Marleau, who has had a miserable summer amid losing his captaincy in San Jose and being the subject of all kinds of Heatley trade rumors.
LeBrun: The Red Team with a deserved 2-1 lead through 40 minutes thanks to a 30-14 advantage in shots. Who says this thing is supposed to be a no-hitter? Smyth hammered Mike Green twice late in the period. You wonder if he's hearing it between periods.
Third period
Burnside: So we are in the third period, and it appears that earlier plans to showcase some situational play have been scrapped. Maybe the coaches are having too good a time just watching the play unfold naturally. Interesting that Iginla is now off the Nash/Crosby line, and Martin St. Louis, who skated a bit with the two stars earlier in the week, is getting a chance. Goalie Steve Mason is also getting his first taste of scrimmage action.
LeBrun:Duncan Keith breaks up another play. He's been excellent tonight. Anyone who doesn't think the Chicago Blackhawks blueliner will make this team should have their head examined. Next summer, he'll need a new contract, by the way. Yikes.
Burnside: One player was joking this week that the camp would be hard for Corey Perry since his permanent Anaheim Ducks sidekick, Ryan Getzlaf, isn't playing as he rehabs from sports-hernia surgery. Well, Perry just made a delightful play behind the net, sneaking in front and tucking the puck behind Marc-Andre Fleury. Not long before the abrasive Perry gave Fleury a gentle nudge behind the net, drawing a penalty.
LeBrun: Funny seeing Smyth go over and congratulate Perry. They'll be hating each other before too soon in the Ducks-Kings rivalry. As I write this, they're doing the wave here at the Saddledome. Hockey in August, baby! God bless this great country!
Burnside: You'll forgive my nausea at the wave. Looked for a second like Joe Thornton had given the Red Team another lead, but the replay on the big screen here showed Thornton kicked a Marleau feed past Mason. Thornton was seen chuckling on the bench as the officials met to decide whether the goal counted.
LeBrun: We've got 60 minutes in the books as we ready for a shootout. I must say, for August hockey, the pace of play was pretty impressive tonight. Jordan Staal had a big game, I thought, always around the puck. I didn't put him on my Canadian team earlier today, but now I regret it.
Burnside: No regrets in August, my friend. But you're right about the pace and the dynamic nature of what might be the most closely watched practice in the history of Canadian hockey.
LeBrun: Most of the skaters went in the shootout, much to the delight of the paying public. Heatley must have loved scoring on Mason, drowning out the boos once directed his way earlier in the night. And how about Crosby ripping one glove side on Fleury for a goal? Years of experience from Penguins practice, no doubt. The fans were on their feet after the Red Team won the shootout 6-2. Next time we'll see these guys, it'll be the real thing.
NHL blog
