Welcome back!
I'm sure Roman Turek
wasn't expecting lavish
gifts, tear jerking speeches,
or even noise makers and
party streamers from
fellow teammates upon
his return to the
Calgary nets from a 4
month sabbatical due to
an knee injury.
But I am certain he
was hoping for much more
than he received in a
3-2 heartbreaking loss
to the Dallas Stars.
The Flames did little
to help their
"large"
goaltender shake off the
barnacles from his stay
in dry dock, only
putting in a half game
of effort and suddenly
finding old form in
defensive zone coverage
gaffs leading to back busting
goals.
The game itself was eerily
like the only other hook
up this season between
the two clubs, a game
that features a 3-1
Calgary lead into the
third period resulting
in a 4-3 overtime loss.
This time there were
no loser points,
however.
The loss to a bubble
team in the west was
made much worse when
captain and offensive
life line Jarome Iginla
left the game with a leg
injury late in the
second period.
He came back to the
bench early in the third
but then left again
without seeing the ice,
with word to officially
follow from the Flames
tomorrow.
This writer is no
doctor, but I would
optimistically assume
that an injury that can
have a player come out
in the third and try
can't be all too serious
but with this team's
injury bug, one can
never tell.
After carrying the
majority of the scoring
chances through the
first period, the Stars
finally solved Roman
Turek with just under
two minutes left to
play.
Star winger Brendan
Morrow was able to elude
his check, Oleg
Saprykin, and tip a deft
pass from Mike Modano
over the shoulder of
Turek.
Turek's first period
since mid October
featured nine shots and
just the one goal. He
didn't appear to have
any trouble getting up
and down with his
recovering knee
ligaments.
The gaff on Oleg
Saprykin's part resulted
in more tough love from
coach Sutter, as the
young Russian found his
bust tied to the bench
for much of the
remainder of the
evening.
The Flames took over
the game when the puck
was dropped in the
second, pretty much
owning the puck through
the period and halfway
into the third.
The home side managed
two middle frame goals
off the sticks of Chris
Clark, on a two man
advantage, and Martin
Gelinas with a mid air
tip to head to the third
up a goal.
Everything was going
swimmingly for the
Flames until the 12
minute mark when Jere
Lehtinen took a great
pass from Pierre Turgeon
and beat a helpless
Roman Turek.
A few minutes later
the Stars struck for the
game winner when Jason
Arnott pounced on a
greasy rebound and slid
the puck through Roman
Turek's legs.
The most disturbing
element of the two quick
goals was the shoddy
defensive zone coverage
by the Calgary defence
pairings and center with
nary a Star covered with
live pucks down low.
You'd hate to think
the squad has decided to
let up with Jamie
McLennan out of the
nets, but that's clearly
not the way to re-break
in a rusty goaltender.
The loss moves the
Flames back to seven
games over .500 and
slips them in the
standings to 7th place,
a point back of
Nashville.
The team will need to
regroup and find that
stingy game again for
their two game road trip
to California, starting
Monday in Anaheim.
