Saturday, January 07, 2006
GAME 42: CANUCKS 4, FLAMES 3 (OT)
Canucks 4, Flames 3 (OT)
[posted in full Mon 16 Jan ~2:14p]
All the Canucks had to build on was a win over the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that lies in the lower depths of the Western Conference. Their opponent on this night was the Calgary Flames, who had beaten the Canucks four times (once in overtime) in four tries this season. All four of the losses were by one goal. Sometimes the pace in the four games had favored Vancouver, but a lot of times Calgary would do their thing, getting dirty-work goals in front, getting leads, and sitting on those leads by limiting the chances of the opposition and leaning on stellar goalie Miikka Kiprusoff as necessary.
Compared to just two games beforehand where Vancouver had lost their eighth game in nine tries, they would have to elevate their level of play light years ahead of where it was just three days ago.
This night would find the Canucks getting down and mounting a third-period comeback for a win they sorely needed.
1st period
The Canucks killed off a questionable early hooking call on Mattias Ohlund and had killed off 15 straight penalties. They didn't get to 16. Henrik Sedin went to the box for charging and the Flames went to the power play again. Tony Amonte skated behind the net and passed to Jordan Leopold, who shoved a backhand through Alex Auld on the glove side.
»» 1, CALGARY, powerplay, Stephane Yelle 3 (Tony Amonte) 7:54
»» FLAMES 1, CANUCKS 0
Miikka Kiprusoff was flashing his brilliance in the Calgary net, robbing Markus Naslund at one point. After a weak penalty was called on Tony Amonte, a slash was called on Todd Bertuzzi that was a bit shaky, resulting in Canuck radio color man Tom Larscheid saying that it was "such a shame that you get such a weak officiating crew for such a big game," and that instead, "you get two schmos." Auld also recorded a nice save on a Matthew Lombardi shot. Shots were 11 apiece. The Canucks were 0-for-2 on the power play in the opening frame while Calgary was 1-for-3.
2nd period
Ohlund went to the box for hooking this time, 1:32 into the period. Auld was great on the ensuing Calgary power play. Jarkko Ruutu was up in Jarome Iginla's grill for most of the night, and they both went off for unsportsmanlike conduct 4:44 into the period. Forty-three seconds later, Chuck Kobasew went off for holding, giving Vancouver 67 seconds of a 4-on-3 power play. Sami Salo punched a slap shot into the net that was waved off when Todd Bertuzzi was ruled in the crease. In a move he does a lot, Bertuzzi will screen the goalie and jump up as the shot goes through. Just seconds later, Salo blasted the puck from behind the left circle and it caught some of Kiprusoff's pad and went through, with Bertuzzi camped out in front. Bertuzzi had some words with the officials after the goal, and the announcers thought he was taking a penalty after that, but he didn't.
»» 2, VANCOUVER, powerplay, Sami Salo 8 (Nolan Baumgartner, Markus Naslund) 6:09
»» FLAMES 1, CANUCKS 1
Later in the period, Salo put a one-timer off the post on Kiprusoff's stick side. On a Vancouver power play (Andrew Ference for interference), Daniel Sedin passed across the low slot to Anson Carter on the left side, who was stopped on the stick side by Kiprusoff. With 6:42 left in the period, Iginla raced past Steve McCarthy and rushed with the puck, but was robbed high by the glove of Auld. Marcus Nilson of Calgary scored point-blank, but the goal was waved off because Trevor Linden was hauled down in the faceoff circle by Shean Donovan. On the resulting power play, Markus Naslund flung the puck toward the net with Matt Cooke and Brendan Morrison in front of the net, and Kiprusoff still kept the puck out. Henrik Sedin skated in alone on Kiprusoff, but broke his stick on the shot and whiffed. Both teams had goals disallowed in the period. The Canucks outshot Calgary 13-12 in the period (24-23 overall). Vancouver was 1-for-4 in the period on the power play (1-for-6 overall) while Calgary was 0-for-2 (1-for-5).
3rd period
With a group of tired Canucks on the ice (long shift), Salo lost the puck and Nolan Baumgartner flipped it over the glass for delay of game. On the power play, Dion Phaneuf took a pass up high, faked a shot, then moved to his left into the high slot, where he snapped the puck through on Auld's stick side.
»» 3, CALGARY, powerplay, Dion Phaneuf 10 (Andrew Ference, Steven Reinprecht) 3:40
»» FLAMES 2, CANUCKS 1
With the teams skating 4-on-4, Naslund and Ohlund had trouble getting the puck out of their own end near the blue line and had even more trouble when Daymond Langkow passed to Iginla, who lasered a wrister past a helpless Auld on the stick side. Two very quick goals put the Canucks in a big hole to start the third period.
»» 4, CALGARY, Jarome Iginla 17 (Daymond Langkow) 4:24
»» FLAMES 3, CANUCKS 1
Bertuzzi was hit by a Bryan Allen slapshot and favored his left ankle as he headed off the ice. Calgary started off getting the first seven shots of the period. Cooke was driven into the boards at the end of a Calgary power play by Leopold. As chants of "Calgary sucks!" permeated through GM Place, Henrik Sedin was stopped on a sharp angle shot on the right side, but Carter pounced on the rebound from the left side and put it through.
»» 5, VANCOUVER, powerplay, Anson Carter 15 (Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin) 12:29
»» FLAMES 3, CANUCKS 2
Shortly after the Carter goal, Ryan Kesler was pulled down and no call was made. After a couple of hits by the Canucks on some Flames -- Ruutu upended Leopold along the Calgary end boards with 6:30 left, the puck leaked toward the left-wing boards and Ohlund nailed Kobasew, who was pursuing the puck -- the crowd got back into the game. Vancouver also got the officials' calls to go their way as Kristian Huselius went off for holding the stick with 1:56 left and Robyn Regehr went off 38 seconds later for tripping. Coach Marc Crawford pulled Alex Auld from the net to mount a 6-on-3 attack to get the equalizing goal. With about 37 seconds left, Salo shot high and missed the net. The puck went off the glass to Nolan Baumgartner at the right point, who revved up for a slapshot but faked it, passing to Salo instead, who blasted a shot from the back of the left hash to levitate the water bottle behind Kiprusoff.
»» 6, VANCOUVER, powerplay, Salo 9 (Baumgartner, D Sedin) 19:30
»» FLAMES 3, CANUCKS 3
Shots were seven apiece in the third period (Vancouver 31-30 regulation). Vancouver was 2-for-3 on the power play (3-for-9 regulation) while Calgary was 1-for-2 (2-for-7).
Overtime
The Canucks had 41 seconds of power play to start the overtime, but couldn't capitalize. Leopold went off for tripping Bertuzzi 56 seconds into the overtime, and the teams skated 4-on-3. Kiprusoff made a big save on Kevin Bieksa. Matt Cooke passed from the left-wing boards across to Salo, who faked a shot, then took one that hit the post behind Kiprusoff, who had come well out of the crease. Just as the awe was about to wear off from Salo hitting the post, Morrison grabbed the rebound from behind the net (and between Rhett Warrener and the net) and put it into an open net. Kiprusoff was late getting back to the net, and Phaneuf standing in front of the net lost it behind him.
»» 7, VANCOUVER, powerplay, Brendan Morrison 9 (Salo, Matt Cooke) 2:53
»» CANUCKS 4, FLAMES 3
Vancouver made good on their power play chance, making them 4-for-10 on the power play for the game. Calgary had no power plays in the overtime and finished 2-for-7.
Three stars -- (1) Salo, (2) Calgary's Jarome Iginla, (3) Carter
skater, goals-assists-points
Salo 2-1-3
Baumgartner 0-2-2
D Sedin 0-2-2
Carter 1-0-1
Morrison 1-0-1
Cooke 0-1-1
Naslund 0-1-1
H Sedin 0-1-1
Brendan Morrison's family (Morrison is from Pitt Meadows, BC) took the ceremonial faceoff at center ice as a part of Vancouver's observance of Hockey Day in Canada. If you're not lucky enough to get CBC (I'm not lucky this year), you're treated to a televised tripleheader of all six Canadian teams. Additionally, Alex Auld was playing on his 25th birthday.
Vancouver was 37-for-71 (52%) in the faceoff circle. Morrison was 10-for-16, Trevor Linden was 1-for-6, Ryan Kesler was 9-for-19, Henrik Sedin was 9-for-12, and Todd Bertuzzi was 7-for-16.
Since only one even-strength goal was scored the entire night, the only skaters that weren't even were the ones on the ice for the Jarome Iginla goal that made it 3-1 in Calgary's favor. On the Vancouver side, those minus-1 skaters were Mattias Ohlund, Markus Naslund, Kevin Bieksa, and Bertuzzi. Multiple Canucks led the team with four shots apiece, and they were Sami Salo, Morrison, Naslund, and Daniel Sedin. Jarkko Ruutu led the team with four hits, and Kesler had three.
This win pushed the Canucks' record to 23-14-5 (1-3 shootout, two overtime losses), good for 51 points and second in the Northwest Division, jumping over the Edmonton Oilers, who are now in third with 50 points. Of course, since this game went to overtime, the Calgary Flames did get a single point. The Canucks gained one point on the Flames as a result and are now four points back of Calgary, who has 55 points.
/ Click for main page
