Flames burn up Penguins
It was a gritty affair between the Flames and Penguins
Calgary Flames (7) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (5)......
The Flames came into Pittsburgh, losers of two of their first three games of the season, most recently a 4-0 blanking at the hands of the LA Kings. Calgary came out firing, scoring twice in a span of 1:53, both goals by Dustin Byfuglien, his 2nd and 3rd of this young season. Patrick Marleau (2nd) scored just four seconds later to cut the lead to one. Later in the period with the score at 3-1 Calgary, the Penguins would strike three straight times to close the first on goals by Patrick Kane (3rd) and the ageless Teemu Selanne (1st,2nd) putting Pittsburgh up by one with just over a minute and a half remaining.
Patrick Marleau scored his second of the game (3rd) just thirty-six seconds in to put the Pens up by two on a gorgeous cross-crease pass by Patrick Kane. Now it was the Flames turn to score two to close a period as this two squads traded offensive attacks, goals by Andrew Ference (2nd) and Travis Hamonic (1st) five minutes apart would pull the Flame even with Pittsburgh.
Calgary's Jamie Benn (2nd) would score on a back-hand shot assisted by Byfuglien (Dustin's 4th point of the night) at 7:14 of the third to take a one goal lead. The Pens tried to get the equalizer and pulled out all the stops as they yanked goalie Daniel Larsson for the extra attacker, it however back-fired as Adam Hall whalloped Kevin Shattenkirk with an open ice hit and Flames Matt Greene picked up the loose puck and fed it up to a streaking Mike Richards who was on a two on one with young Sean Couturier, Richards dropped the puck back for Couturier and he put it in the gapping six by four for the insurance marker with just forty seconds remaining.
Rookie tender Daniel Larsson was seeing his first action of the season and stopped 24 of 30 Flames shots. Cam Ward would make 28 saves for his second win of the season.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Andrew Ference (Cal)..... 2 goals, +1, 2 shots, 4 hits.
2 - Dustin Byfuglien (Cal).... 2 goals, 2 assists, 5 shots
3 - Patrick Marleau (Pit)...... 2 goals, 5 shots, 24:58 TOI
HONORABLE MENTION:
Steven Stamkos (Cal)..... 4 assists, 4 shots.
GAME GOAT:
Pittsburgh's top defensive unit of Dan Hamhuis and Jack Johnson who went -4 on the night.
The Penguins will hope to get back on track as they host the Dallas Stars in their next game, which on paper would look like a sure win for the Pens, but if we've learned anything in the WCHL, there are no sure things. Dallas is 0-4 to start the season and will be looking for any spark to rekindle their drive to get back in the win column. David Clarkson leads the struggling Stars with nine points in four games.
Calgary is right back at it Sunday night as they are home to host the Wild of Minnesota. The Wild won their only other road game, their season 18 opener versus the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. The Wild are led by center Tyler Bozak who has four gaols and nine points in four games.
Reporting for the WCHL Network this has been........
Peter Puck
Happy New Years from the WCHL reporters office and until next weekend," Keep your head up and your stick on the ice."
It was a gritty affair between the Flames and Penguins
Calgary Flames (7) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (5)......
The Flames came into Pittsburgh, losers of two of their first three games of the season, most recently a 4-0 blanking at the hands of the LA Kings. Calgary came out firing, scoring twice in a span of 1:53, both goals by Dustin Byfuglien, his 2nd and 3rd of this young season. Patrick Marleau (2nd) scored just four seconds later to cut the lead to one. Later in the period with the score at 3-1 Calgary, the Penguins would strike three straight times to close the first on goals by Patrick Kane (3rd) and the ageless Teemu Selanne (1st,2nd) putting Pittsburgh up by one with just over a minute and a half remaining.
Patrick Marleau scored his second of the game (3rd) just thirty-six seconds in to put the Pens up by two on a gorgeous cross-crease pass by Patrick Kane. Now it was the Flames turn to score two to close a period as this two squads traded offensive attacks, goals by Andrew Ference (2nd) and Travis Hamonic (1st) five minutes apart would pull the Flame even with Pittsburgh.
Calgary's Jamie Benn (2nd) would score on a back-hand shot assisted by Byfuglien (Dustin's 4th point of the night) at 7:14 of the third to take a one goal lead. The Pens tried to get the equalizer and pulled out all the stops as they yanked goalie Daniel Larsson for the extra attacker, it however back-fired as Adam Hall whalloped Kevin Shattenkirk with an open ice hit and Flames Matt Greene picked up the loose puck and fed it up to a streaking Mike Richards who was on a two on one with young Sean Couturier, Richards dropped the puck back for Couturier and he put it in the gapping six by four for the insurance marker with just forty seconds remaining.
Rookie tender Daniel Larsson was seeing his first action of the season and stopped 24 of 30 Flames shots. Cam Ward would make 28 saves for his second win of the season.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Andrew Ference (Cal)..... 2 goals, +1, 2 shots, 4 hits.
2 - Dustin Byfuglien (Cal).... 2 goals, 2 assists, 5 shots
3 - Patrick Marleau (Pit)...... 2 goals, 5 shots, 24:58 TOI
HONORABLE MENTION:
Steven Stamkos (Cal)..... 4 assists, 4 shots.
GAME GOAT:
Pittsburgh's top defensive unit of Dan Hamhuis and Jack Johnson who went -4 on the night.
The Penguins will hope to get back on track as they host the Dallas Stars in their next game, which on paper would look like a sure win for the Pens, but if we've learned anything in the WCHL, there are no sure things. Dallas is 0-4 to start the season and will be looking for any spark to rekindle their drive to get back in the win column. David Clarkson leads the struggling Stars with nine points in four games.
Calgary is right back at it Sunday night as they are home to host the Wild of Minnesota. The Wild won their only other road game, their season 18 opener versus the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. The Wild are led by center Tyler Bozak who has four gaols and nine points in four games.
Reporting for the WCHL Network this has been........
Peter Puck
Happy New Years from the WCHL reporters office and until next weekend," Keep your head up and your stick on the ice."
