CALGARY — Rasmus Andersson and Tom Wilson would be a heck of a lot of fun to play charades with.
That much was clear late Tuesday night in an entertaining game in which the two wound up stealing the show.
With five minutes to go in a 2-1 game being led by the Capitals, there they were, furiously jawing at each other in the penalty box for the entirety of a TV timeout.
Both had just been whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct, essentially for mocking one another in animated fashion.
For those watching on TV, or the Dome’s Jumbotron, the two may as well have been wearing the black and white stripes of a mime, as audio wasn’t required for the audience to follow along.
The two fiery competitors helped us piece their sentiments together with their body movements.
It started minutes after Wilson drew a penalty by laying on the ice, grasping his side following a cross-check from Adam Klapka.
Hockey players don’t like opponents who milk the moment, and seconds after the whistle was blown on a subsequent Connor McMichael trip, Andersson immediately started mocking Wilson right in front of him.
Clutching his side and wincing in pain, over-and-over again, Andersson clearly touched a nerve.
Repeating the motion again in the box, Wilson stood and clearly responded by suggesting Andersson’s large cranium resembled that of a bobblehead.
Removing his own helmet at one point, Wilson stretched the ear flaps apart to emphasize the point.
And on it went.
The TV cameras, and crowd, ate it up.
The highlight shows will have it on repeat.
In a league where showing personality is generally shunned, this was cinematic gold, prompting both officials to visit the box, demanding an end to it.
“The chirping and the emotions are all part of it,” said Andersson after a 3-1 loss in which the Flames hung tight with the league’s best.
“I think it’s fun to get chirped sometimes too. It makes you feel alive, a little bit.”
Things were lively alright, especially the final four minutes with the Flames pressing hard on a couple of late power plays, which included a high sticking call on an enraged Wilson.
“I know he gets triggered by certain stuff,” said Andersson, adding it’s not the first time the two have exchanged insults.
“It’s emotions. When you look back at it it’s all good, on my part at least.
“We’re down 2-1 with 4 minutes left, and it’s a couple scrums, and there is a lot on the line for us.
“That’s one part of the game I enjoy is the chirping a little bit and getting under the skin.
“It was just the way it went today it was Wilson and next it’s someone else probably.”
Here’s hoping.
Not only could the game use more emotion, but Andersson is at his best when he’s fully invested verbally.
“It was pretty quiet until the end, and it got him going, and he got me going, and it worked out for them,” he said.
“It’s all fun and it’s part of it, in my opinion at least.”
Wilson chose not to expand on his thoughts after the game, but his teammates sure did.
“I was laughing for most of that, I think,” said Flame-turned-Capital Andrew Mangiapane, who happened to be one of Andersson’s besties.
“Hopefully there was no video or panning to me on that play. That’s Razzy for you. He likes to chirp and get under people’s skin, and so does Willy. Worked out perfect.”
Who won the war of words?
“I don’t even know,” chuckled Mangiapane.
“I’m sure that they both said some good chirps back and forth. I was laughing and giggling away.”
So was Pierre-Luc Dubois, who opened the scoring two minutes into a game that was entertaining until the end.
“I know Mikey (Connor McMichael) said he was trying not to laugh in the penalty box,” he said.
“We were laughing on the bench, that’s for sure.”
It probably seemed a whole lot funnier for the Capitals, especially after Aliaksei Protas sealed the win with a breakaway goal with two-and-a-half minutes left.
As Wilson exited the box he threw an Andersson-like death stare at the Flames defenceman that Andersson ignored.
“I love it,” said Capitals goalie Logan Thompson, who felt fortunate to have a mask on to hide his laughter.
“Oh I was laughing. It was funny just looking up at the Jumbotron and seeing Tom and him going back and forth. You can’t help but laugh.
“It’s awesome. Those are fun games to be a part of. I love that stuff. I love Tom. It was funny, for sure. I was enjoying it.”
Flames coach Ryan Huska said he isn’t worried at all about such antics being a distraction for his top defender.
“Nope, he’s at his best,” said Huska of Andersson, who led the Flames with six shots and four blocks.
“You look at his weekend we had on the road: he was right in the thick of things in Minnesota, and right in the thick of things in Winnipeg, and he was the same way tonight. I feel when Ras is right on the line, and he plays the game with edge, he’s a really good player. He’s played some of his better hockey the last three games.”
Tom Wilson might not agree.
But man, it would be fun to have him act out his thoughts once again.
