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Flames outlast
Sharks
Calgary takes 2-1 standoff
Playing before a national audience in Canada as
part of the Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, the Sharks delighted most of the
viewers in Alberta, by succumbing to the Calgary Flames 2-1 at HP Pavilion. The
Flames were reminiscent of the Shark teams from the Darryl Sutter era, playing
a defensive style that snuffed out offensive chances and waited for an
opportunity to capitalize with the puck just enough to squeeze out a victory.
And that's exactly what the Flames did.
Calgary overcame a one-goal
deficit in the 2nd period, and scored the game-winner on a defensive lapse by
the Sharks in the 3rd period to take two points for all of Canada to see. San
Jose didn't play poorly, they just didn't play well enough to win against a
team that has been built around hard work and a solid defensive corps.
"I thought it was a heck of a game, I really did, I thought both teams battled
real hard," said Sharks head coach Todd McLellan. "It was physical,
forechecking was hard, goaltending was good. Specialty teams… Our
Powerplay didn't get any theirs didn't get any. It was a hell of a game. It was
almost a playoff game."
The Sharks looked to intimidate Calgary early
by laying the body on the Flames cornerstone players, including Jerome Iginla
and Dion Phaneuf. Scott Nichol and Eric Nystrom got the show off to a physical
start by taking off-setting roughing minors just 8 seconds into the game.
Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray would lay out Iginla a minute later right in
front of the Flames bench, but he would be sent off for charging on the play.
The Sharks would kill off the Murray penalty, and go right after
Iginla once again. Flames head coach Brent Sutter would implement tough guy
Brian McGrattan, who engaged Frazer McLaren in a spirited bout at 4:19 in order
to deal with some of the physical play.
Both teams traded chances
throughout the opening period, but the Sharks came closest to scoring midway
through the period when Patrick Marleau led an odd-man rush up the ice. Flames
netminder Miikka Kiprusoff snuffed out the chance with a spectacular sliding
save to his right, after Marleau sent a feed through the slot to Marc-Edouard
Vlasic, whose one-time shot seemed destined for the back of the net.
It would be the first of many solid stops for Kiprusoff on the night.
Eric Nystrom would just miss on a chance for the Flames 3 minutes into the 2nd
period when his shot attempt clanked off the right post. The end result would
be a common occurrence for the two teams, who combined for 6 shots that caught
either vertical or horizontal iron.
Ryane Clowe finally broke the ice
at 4:40 of the period on a backhanded put back after Dan Boyle sent a puck on
net that Kiprusoff failed to control. Hovering around the left post, Clowe
picked up the deflection at the top of the crease and lifted the puck into the
Flames net to extend his scoring streak to nine games.
The lead was short lived as Flames centerman Olli
Jokinen tied the game at 10:28 on a shot that seemed to fool Sharks goaltender
Evgeni Nabokov. Jokinen took a feed from Iginla up the left side and put a
relatively routine shot on goal from the outside of the left circle that sailed
over Naboko's left shoulder.
San Jose just missed on a chance to move
back in front with 3:35 before the 2nd intermission. An errant shot hit
Kiprusoff in the back of the skate as the netminder was on his stomach in the
crease. By bending his leg at the knee, Kiprusoff kicked the puck clear of
danger.
Damond. Langkow put the Flames up 2-1 at 3:36 of the 3rd
period on a the defensive breakdown Calgary thrives on. With Langkow parked in
the slot with no Sharks defender within 15 feet of him, Rene Bourque slid a
pass from behind the net for the easy conversion. All Nabokov could do was wave
at the point blank shot. It was all the offense the Flames would need.
"Unfortunately we made one mistake in the third period," said McLellan. "They
scored. I guess what's upsetting about it is that we gave up a point to St.
Louis the other night. If you can believe that. That's the one that still
sticks with me. You have to build in these types of games you're your season
where the effort is there and it just doesn't go your way against a very good
team. What stings a little bit more tonight is that we didn't get that extra
point."
San Jose tried to even things up, but shots that were an inch
or two off, combined with the workmanlike Calgary defense, and the Sharks were
doomed. Nichol hit the crossbar on a odd man rush a minute after Langkow's
goal, but it would only frustrate the sellout crowd.
Kiprusoff shut
the door on a wild rush in front of the Calgary net 7 minutes into the period,
which ended with a pretty kick save on a Joe Thornton attempt from the slot.
A holding penalty by Nichol at 8:37 of the period was followed by a
questionable tripping penalty to Vlasic 80 seconds later, putting the Sharks in
a precarious position. San Jose's penalty killing until would repel the Flames
two-man advantage, but it would kill off precious seconds, that the Sharks
could ill afford lose.
With the Sharks in dire need of a goal to
equalize, the Flames kept the forecheck humming. Calgary would actually
outshoot the Sharks 14-11 in the final period, denying the Sharks with a chance
to generate any serious scoring chances on Kiprusoff the remainder of the game.
Even after pulling Nabokov for the extra attacker, the Flames
forecheck denied any serious threat and San Jose had dropped a second straight
game at home.
"We came in here tonight knowing we were playing a real
good team, a team that is obviously leading the league in points and we knew we
were going to have to, rise to the occasion and play like we need to play, and
we did," said Sutter.
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What did you
think of this game? Post your comments on the
Feeder Forums |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| CGY |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| SJ |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
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| 2nd period - 1, SJ,
Clowe 7 (Boyle, Murray), 4:40. 2, CGY, Jokinen 6 (Iginla, Bouwmeester),
10:28. |
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| 3rd period - 3, CGY,
Langkow 9 (Bourque), 3:36. |
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| 1st period - Nystrom,
CGY (roughing), 0:08; Nichol, SJ (roughing), 0:08; Murray, SJ (charging), 1:17;
McGrattan, CGY (fighting major), 4:19; McLaren, SJ (fighting major), 4:19;
Huskins, SJ (holding), 6:52; Bench, CGY (too many men), 18:27. |
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| 2nd period -
Bouwmeester, CGY (delay of game - puck over glass), 7:28; Nystrom, CGY
(roughing), 14:24; McGinn, SJ (holding), 17:14. |
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| 3rd period -
Nichol, SJ (holding), 8:37; Vlasic, SJ (tripping), 9:57. |
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Shots |
Saves |
| CGY - Kiprusoff |
36 |
35 |
| SJ - Nabokov |
36 |
34 |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| CGY |
10 |
12 |
14 |
36 |
| SJ |
11 |
14 |
11 |
36 |
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| Referees: Kozari,
Marouelli. Linesmen: Cameron, Seitz. |
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