QCY 03/13 -- Well, at least they kept Chucko off the scoresheet

Sometimes it's the small blessings you have to seek out when you lose 6-3 to a lesser team, at least in terms of the standings. Let's count our blessings, shall we?

• Madsen got a goal. Boy did he need that, and the joy he wore, as well as the delight from his teammates, was pretty special. Stuff like that... it's why I love the game. And it was a sick goal, too, shooting the puck back behind him with his back to the goalie. But I don't like him on the 4th line with Kass and Love. There's gotta be a better choice there if Ryznar isn't playing.
  
• Pouliot had a good game IMO. I feel pretty comfortable saying that at least some of this transformation since he got sent down is sticking. This is the longest I've ever seen him play with such intensity and purpose and sack. He's battling HARD for the puck, not giving up on plays, going that extra step to try and retain possession or make something happen.
  
• Kolanos, on the other hand. Ugh. To me, nearly every move he makes looks nonchalant and lazy. Pouly used to be the one who had me in nearly a constant state of *head-desk* but the torch has passed to the K-Train. Now that it's pretty clear he's not heading back to the Wild, the intensity is just gone. He looks like he's playing shinny with his pals... and doesn't like his pals all that much.
  
• The joke when we started this blog was that Andrew and John would write about the game, Fred would post his brilliant photos, and I'd write about how hot Pouliot looks in a suit. But I've covered that to death, so lemme just throw out there that Brusty, in spite of his limp and his new mustache (why, boys? why?), is also a tasty dish in a suit. Whoever, a hundred years ago, decided that hockey players should change into suits after the game should have his own wing in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Effing genius! I love you, suit guy!
  
• The magic of the suit doesn't do a damn thing for Chucko. That's not so much a blessing as an observation.
• I like that Falk. Kid works his ass off every shift, takes a beating, and keeps going. And occasionally he uses that big body of his to lay a hit that would make highlight reels if anybody made highlight reels of AHL games.
  

I'm out of blessings. Other than, a night of bad hockey is better than a night of no hockey.

Crowley was bad and looked out of his league, which I suppose he is a bit. I'm not sure I wouldn't rather have John Adams out there at this point.

One fight in the game with Love and Watt dropping the mitts after QC's first goal. I felt like the edge went to Watt, but it was fairly even. Gotta hand it to Watt, though. He's a seriously scrappy, energetic fighter and pretty fun to watch.

I thought Stoner and Vandermeer might go as they were having a chat on their way to the bench at one point, but either the opportunity never presented itself or they were talking about the weather.

Anyway, pretty ugly game by the Aeros, and the Flames took full advantage of it. The boys tend to crawl out of the fog after the first night of a 3-in-3, so perhaps the team bus will be overflowing with celebratory Beaver Nuggets on the way home from San Antonio tomorrow. (I'm obsessed with Beaver Nuggets after my first-ever stop at Buc-ee's earlier this week... I mean, really! Beaver Nuggets! Dirty-sounding AND delicious! How grand!) Catch y'all on the flip side tomorrow night.