Stingy Sens Sink Streak

Bankrupt Squad Foreclose On Sutter's Run

January 9th, 2002
D'Arcy McGrath

Maybe the Flames should stop payment on their next club payroll date.

The unpaid, but unwavering Ottawa Senators put on a defensive display at the Saddledome on Thursday night in sinking the Calgary Flames by a narrow margin of 1-0.

The affair was an entertaining one despite the score with both goaltenders, and both defences playing excellent kitty by the door systems in their own end.

The Senators, from their lofty view at the top of the Eastern standings, know a thing or two about team defence, giving the Flames very little by way of quality chances, and literally no rebounds to speak of.

The difference?

Saprykin Drury Clark
Gelinas Conroy Iginla
Niedermayer Yelle Sloan
Berube Nichol Wright
Lydman Regehr
Boughner Gauthier
Montador Buzek

Special teams, with the Senators scoring once on their powerplay chances, and the Flames coming up empty on their man advantage opportunities.

The Senators opened the scoring late in the first period when Wade Redden fired a powerplay point shot through traffic and past Roman Turek to make the score 1-0 for the visitors.

The Flames held a territorial edge of play in the first stanza generating 11 of the period's 18 shots.

The second period had the Senators come on a good measure, as it appeared the ice was markedly sloped toward Roman Turek with Ottawa out shooting Calgary by a 11-3 margin.

Roman Turek and some classic shot blocking held the game to a goal sending the proceedings to the third period.

Down only one to one of the best teams in hockey seemed to energize the Flames as they came out hard in the third taking the play to Ottawa for most of the frame.

Martin Gelinas had the periods best chance but was turned away by Patrick Lalime giving the St. Bonaventure, Quebec native his 3rd shut out of the season.

The loss is the first for Darryl Sutter as a Flame head coach, and should prove interesting in seeing how his club reacts to it's first adversity when the Columbus Blue Jackets come calling on Saturday night.

The Flames are now nine points out of a playoff spot with 40 games to play.

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SCOREBOARD
Ottawa Senators 1
Penguins Calgary Flames 0

1 Patrick Lalime - Penguin cast off solid when needed, throws up his 3rd shut out of the season. 

2 Roman Turek - Gave up only one goal, Calgarypuck star for the third straight game. 

3 Wade Redden - Because ... in a 1-0 game you give the third star to the goal scorer.

Roman Turek through up the catcher to rob Martin Havlat through traffic in the second period.

As usual Denis Gauthier gets the nod when he stepped up in the neutral zone to send Steve Martins stumbling onto his back side.

The Ottawa Senators officially filed for bankruptcy on the same day of the game, making them only the second team in any of the North American four major sports league to do so. The other organization? The Pittsburgh Penguins, who did the trick twice. Once in the 70's, and once two years ago. ... The Flames will do all right under Darryl Sutter if tonight's game is an example of a loss to a Stanley Cup contender. The Flames, while not as polished as the Senators, made very few mistakes, and put in a solid effort .... The Flames bested the Senators in the face off dot by a 56-44% margin on the night, a statistic made all the more surprising by the fact that Stephane Yelle himself was only at 29%. Craig Conroy carried the mail for Calgary at 68%. 

 

  Calgarypuck.com
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