CALGARY — Robyn Regehr has played it rough and rugged, like the shutdown defenceman he is, but not once in the Calgary Flames' playoff series against the San Jose Sharks has he been called for a penalty.
That's a telling statement if you consider how the Flames reacted in Thursday's 2-0 loss in San Jose.
In a 10-minute, second-period stint that saw Calgary take six consecutive penalties, captain Jarome Iginla was whistled for holding and soon followed to the box by David Hale, Kristian Huselius, Stéphane Yelle, Jim Vandermeer and even Miikka Kiprusoff, normally the Lady Byng of NHL goaltenders.
The penalty parade proved Calgary's undoing as the Sharks fired 27 shots at Kiprusoff and won 2-0 to even the first-round matchup at one game each.
And yet, Regehr has managed to be penalty-free despite spending the bulk of his ice time against San Jose strongman Joe Thornton. No wonder Vandermeer and others in the Calgary dressing room are thinking of taking a page out of Regehr's how-to book in time for the third game of the series tomorrow at the Pengrowth Saddledome.
"Robyn's a physical guy, but he's keeping his stick down," Vandermeer said as the Flames reflected on their troubles in the second game. "The penalties we've been getting have been for cross-checking and slashing. If the stick's in good position, the refs won't call it. You have to keep the stick on the [other player's] pants and just be smart, like Robyn."
The Flames acknowledged they weren't very smart in Thursday's loss. The more penalties they received, the more frustrated they became. (Vandermeer said, "The penalties that were being called, we should have figured it out.") Still, the players and head coach Mike Keenan insisted Calgary didn't deserve to be hit with six in a row.
"The issues were the balance of the calls and the fact we had six consecutive calls," said Keenan, who was campaigning for an underofficiated series even before the puck dropped for the first game. "I was enjoying the first period as a coach … then to have the game completely thrown off. All you're asking for is consistency for both sides."
Keenan had said after the second game he was going to have a word with the series supervisor of officials. A calm and collected Keenan met with reporters yesterday and said he had "passed the assignment on to Mr. Sutter [Flames general manager Darryl Sutter]. We had a discussion. He's the manager and I told him, 'You've got more free time than I do right now.'" When asked about the angry manner in which he addressed referees Marc Joannette and Tim Peel during the second game, Keenan explained some of it had to do with the referees not liking the way he stood on the bench to carry on his, ah, conversation.
"I stood up because the players stood up and I couldn't see," was Keenan's rationale. "They don't like me standing up on the bench. What's the big deal anyway? I think emotion is part of the game. It's not for flat-liners."
Unless they want to be flat-lined and carried out of the postseason, the Flames would be wise to watch game video of Regehr at work. So far, he has helped contain Thornton by being tough on him at every opportunity. On top of that, Regehr has matched Thornton scoring-wise. Both men have one assist.
"[Thornton] is a little different from a lot of players," Regehr said. "He's got the size and strength and he can pass. He protects [the puck] more than other playmakers … I don't play differently [against him]. Probably the most important thing is keep the stick down and make sure you're skating. Then you can close to make a hit. Usually, if you're caught out of position and reaching with your stick, the penalty is called."
Regehr spoke for his teammates when he said losing the second game after playing so well and taking the opener was disappointing. The reason, he said, was that the Flames had the pressure on and could have flustered San Jose with an early goal. Instead, the Flames expended a wealth of energy-killing penalties and being upset about them.
"It's not sustainable to have a team [firing] 40 shots per game," Regehr said. "We have to control that. You do that by being a little better in your own zone and by not taking penalties."
The Flames remain convinced they can wear down San Jose if they play with a physical edge. What's clear is they have to be edgy and smart at the same time.
That means sticks down, wits up.
