Colorado Avalanche (6) vs Calgary Flames (5)..........
The Avs rolled into Cowtown on Saturday night and put on a special team show that has rarely been seen, as Colorado scored twice on the powerplay BUT they also managed three shorthanded goals on the night.
The Flames opened the scoring on Mike Richards 8th of the season at 8:17 of the first. When the Avs' Brendan Dillon was called for tripping at 11:27, the Flames saw their chance to double their lead, but Colorado had other ideas as Marian Hossa (17th) and Martin St.Louis (16th) scored shorthanded twenty-four seconds apart to take a one goal lead at the 12:07 mark. When Dustin Penner was whistled for hooking 14:13 you could sense the Avs were thinking of duplicating their earlier success but it was the Flames, who clicked on the powerplay as Steven Stamkos notched his 31st of this young season, which leads the WCHL. The Flames out-shot Colorado 12-5 in the period yet found themselves tied 2-2. It was Calgary who would open the scoring in the second as well as Pascal Dupuis banged in his 6th of the season again on the powerplay. Martin St.Louis scored his 17th (second of the night), tying up the affair once more, his goal was just eight seconds after Dupuis had put Calgary up by one. Next it was the Avalanche's turn to strike with the extra skater as Louie Eriksson scored his 6th of the year with forty-seven seconds left in the first, the Avs took the lead into the locker room after 40 minutes with the Flames leading 24-23 in shots. With Colorado running into penalty trouble again Pascal Dupuis scored his second powerplay goal of the game at 8:40 pulling the Flames even, then fifty-eight seconds later Steven Stamkos scored his 2nd of the night for Calgary putting them ahead by one (the goal was just Calgary's second even strength goal of the night.). With the Flames on yet another powerplay, Marian Hossa would score his second of the night (both SH) for Colorado, then Patrick Sharp would put the Avs up by one for good as he took a beautiful pass from David Kjecji and deposited his 10th of the season at 13:25 on the powerplay to finish the scoring.
Craig Anderson stopped 28 shots for his 18th win of the year. It was the Avs' second win of the season against Calgary in three meetings, the teams will meet once more this season. Cam Ward made 31 saves and saw his record drop to 13-6 on the year.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Martin St. Louis (Col).............. 2 goals, 2 assists, +4, 4 shots
2 - Marian Hossa (Col)................. 2 goals, 1 assists, +3, 4 shots
3 - Filip Kuba (Col)....................... 4 assists, +3, 1 shot, 6 blocked shots
HONORABLE MENTION:
Pascal Dupuis (Cal)...................... 2 goals, 1 assist, 2 shots
GAME'S GOAT:
Daniel Alfredsson (Cal)................ registered one assist on Calgary's opening goal but went practically unnoticed on the ice after that except for his miscues (he was -4), he finished the night with a single shot on net, not enough for a player looked upon for his scoring and leadership.
Colorado will hope to continue their unbeaten ways as they host the Wild on Sunday. Minnesota is coming off a 8-6 loss in their most recent game, which incidentally was against the same Avalanche. Then the Stars come to town on Tuesday, Dallas has just two wins in their last ten games. The Avs then travel to Music City on Wednesday to take on Herik Zetterberg and his Predators, Nashville has just three losses in their past ten games.
Calgary will hope to get back on the horse as they travel to St.Louis to battle the Blues on Sunday who are winners of their last two games, most recently a 4-0 white wash of the Predators. Tuesday the Flames return to the Saddledome to take on the Kings who are hot on their heels in the standings. Then it's off to Winterpeg on Wednesday to take on the Jets who are presently in seventh in the West just 5 points behind Calgary. The Jets dropped a 5-1 decision to the powerhouse Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
Reporting For the WCHL Network This Has Been......
Peter Puck
The Avs rolled into Cowtown on Saturday night and put on a special team show that has rarely been seen, as Colorado scored twice on the powerplay BUT they also managed three shorthanded goals on the night.
The Flames opened the scoring on Mike Richards 8th of the season at 8:17 of the first. When the Avs' Brendan Dillon was called for tripping at 11:27, the Flames saw their chance to double their lead, but Colorado had other ideas as Marian Hossa (17th) and Martin St.Louis (16th) scored shorthanded twenty-four seconds apart to take a one goal lead at the 12:07 mark. When Dustin Penner was whistled for hooking 14:13 you could sense the Avs were thinking of duplicating their earlier success but it was the Flames, who clicked on the powerplay as Steven Stamkos notched his 31st of this young season, which leads the WCHL. The Flames out-shot Colorado 12-5 in the period yet found themselves tied 2-2. It was Calgary who would open the scoring in the second as well as Pascal Dupuis banged in his 6th of the season again on the powerplay. Martin St.Louis scored his 17th (second of the night), tying up the affair once more, his goal was just eight seconds after Dupuis had put Calgary up by one. Next it was the Avalanche's turn to strike with the extra skater as Louie Eriksson scored his 6th of the year with forty-seven seconds left in the first, the Avs took the lead into the locker room after 40 minutes with the Flames leading 24-23 in shots. With Colorado running into penalty trouble again Pascal Dupuis scored his second powerplay goal of the game at 8:40 pulling the Flames even, then fifty-eight seconds later Steven Stamkos scored his 2nd of the night for Calgary putting them ahead by one (the goal was just Calgary's second even strength goal of the night.). With the Flames on yet another powerplay, Marian Hossa would score his second of the night (both SH) for Colorado, then Patrick Sharp would put the Avs up by one for good as he took a beautiful pass from David Kjecji and deposited his 10th of the season at 13:25 on the powerplay to finish the scoring.
Craig Anderson stopped 28 shots for his 18th win of the year. It was the Avs' second win of the season against Calgary in three meetings, the teams will meet once more this season. Cam Ward made 31 saves and saw his record drop to 13-6 on the year.
MOLSON'S 3 STARS:
1 - Martin St. Louis (Col).............. 2 goals, 2 assists, +4, 4 shots
2 - Marian Hossa (Col)................. 2 goals, 1 assists, +3, 4 shots
3 - Filip Kuba (Col)....................... 4 assists, +3, 1 shot, 6 blocked shots
HONORABLE MENTION:
Pascal Dupuis (Cal)...................... 2 goals, 1 assist, 2 shots
GAME'S GOAT:
Daniel Alfredsson (Cal)................ registered one assist on Calgary's opening goal but went practically unnoticed on the ice after that except for his miscues (he was -4), he finished the night with a single shot on net, not enough for a player looked upon for his scoring and leadership.
Colorado will hope to continue their unbeaten ways as they host the Wild on Sunday. Minnesota is coming off a 8-6 loss in their most recent game, which incidentally was against the same Avalanche. Then the Stars come to town on Tuesday, Dallas has just two wins in their last ten games. The Avs then travel to Music City on Wednesday to take on Herik Zetterberg and his Predators, Nashville has just three losses in their past ten games.
Calgary will hope to get back on the horse as they travel to St.Louis to battle the Blues on Sunday who are winners of their last two games, most recently a 4-0 white wash of the Predators. Tuesday the Flames return to the Saddledome to take on the Kings who are hot on their heels in the standings. Then it's off to Winterpeg on Wednesday to take on the Jets who are presently in seventh in the West just 5 points behind Calgary. The Jets dropped a 5-1 decision to the powerhouse Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
Reporting For the WCHL Network This Has Been......
Peter Puck
