On a day when Canada
harkens back to its
games' roots, the
tradition of hockey, and
the sport's history in
the nation, you can
forgive the Calgary
Flames for keeping their
collective eye very much
focuses on the future.
The locals may want
to cast a glance back as
well however, as things
continue to tighten up
in the Western
Conference playoff race
with the Flames dropping
a 2-1 decision in
Ottawa.
The club was looking
to get off to a better
start, and rid
themselves of some nasty
bad habits that cropped
up in their listless
performance in Montreal.
The physical side of
the game was back in
place with the team's
defence core, chided by
coach Darryl Sutter
after a no hitter in la
belle Provence, a little
more owly in taking the
physical play to the
Senators, and limiting
them to only 23 shots.
Offensively however,
the club struggled to
generate much from their
top two lines for the
second straight game,
the difference in a very
close contest with one
of the league's best
clubs.
They Flames played
with fire early, taking
three first period
undisciplined penaltes
against the league's
best powerplay, finally
getting burnt on the
third try.
Calgary opened the
scoring on a powerplay
on a Jordan Leopold goal
that can only be
described as a weak one
by Ottawa's struggling
goaltender Patrick
Lalime.Â
Leopold took the puck
at the blueline, skated
around an Ottawa
defender and fired a low
wrister that Lalime
simply missed.
The Senators evened
the score towards the
end of the period with a
silly one of their own
when Sens captain Daniel
Alfredsson fired a low
point shot that was
tipped in tight by Bryan
Smolinski, flipped up in
the air and just out of
the reach of a
stretching Roman Turek
and into the goal.
The start was Turek's
first since beating the
Canucks ten days ago,
and the first glimpse of
a pretty strong tandem
in Calgary that Calgary
fans have seen in years.
The Flames were a
little better in the
second period,
continuing to give up
the edge territorially
but keeping the blue
chip chances to a
minimum.
Heading to the third
period the Flames had
what seemed to be the
ultimate road game in
Ottawa with the game 20
minutes from conclusion
and all squared at one.
Things fell off the
table early though, when
Martin Havlat picked up
a tipped puck turnover
and beat Roman Turek
with a brilliant hoisted
backhand.
On the replay Havlat
himself appeared to be
offside, suggesting the
goal should have been
called back.
With the lead the
Senators played a less
robust style and the
Flames opened things up
a bit, leading to the
game's best stretch for
the visitors, but no
goals to show for it.
With the goalie
pulled and the Flames up
a man Jordan Leopold
found himself wide open
in front of the net with
a handful of seconds
left, but was stoned by
Patrick Lalime.Â
Next up for Calgary
is another matinee
tomorrow in New Jerseay,
a game that is now all
important as Calgary can
ill afford to drop three
in a row with the lack
of breathing space in
the West.
