They tease you into
thinking they've
recaptured that magic
and then turn and fall
flat on their face
breaking their
collective nose.
That's the pattern in
recent Calgary Flame
hockey games as the team
continues to ride a .500
record through January
by playing an effective
game then laying an egg
over and over again.
The stinker arrived
as expected on Saturday
night, this time the
smell was reminiscent of
some rather pungent
losses of last season, a
6-2 setback to the
visiting Tampa Bay
Lighting.
The damage was made
even more painful in
that the practitioner of
this execution was a
cast off by the very
same Flames, Martin St.
Louis.
The first period
featured a powerplay
goal by each side, both
on plays that likely
shouldn't have been
penalties.
First Tampa defender
Cory Sarich was whistled
down for harmlessly
shoving Craig Conroy.
Dean McAmmond converted
on the subsequent man
advantage when he was
the fourth of a four man
assault on the Tampa
cage after Oleg Saprykin
and Jordan Leopold
managed to keep the puck
alive.
With less than a
minute to play in the
first period Chris Clark
was sent off for
interfering with Cory
Stillman. The replay
showed Stillman throwing
himself up and into the
glass, but the play was
called regardless.
The Lightning, like
the Flames, took
advantage when ex-Flame
Martin St. Louis fired
an off balance slapper
from the slot off the
post and past Turek.
The goal ended Roman
Turek's shut out streak
at just under 125
minutes dating back to
the Kings third goal in
the first period in a
4-1 Los Angeles victory
on Tuesday night.
Sadly, the goal
wasn't the last reminder
of that game in Los
Angeles.
The late first period
goal seemed to knock the
homeside completely off
their game, setting up
the second to be as
equally horrific as the
first stanza in L.A.
The Flames were
beaten for four goals in
the middle frame, two
more by St. Louis and
another by Brad Richards
to take a 5-2 lead to
the third period.
Turek was fully to
blame on the second
goal, but the other
three were all a result
of brutal mistakes and
coverage errors behind
the blue ending in point
blank chances and the
Lightning were only too
happy to take advantage.
The third period
started with much of the
same as Ruslan Fedotenko
added insult to injury
making the score 6-2 on
yet another blatant turn
over in the Calgary
zone.
The Flames have
little time to lick
their wounds as they are
to hit the road for yet
another two game junket,
this time through
Phoenix and San Jose.
Calgary's grip on a
playoff spot took a
severe beating tonight
as the Kings, Coyotes,
Stars and Predators all
won, meaning the Flames
now have only a two
point margin on the
final playoff spot.
