Late Goal Halts Streak

Rick Charlton

March 6th, 2002

It's a time of year when points lost and won can both devastate and exhilarate.

And the Flames are on a downer after surrendering the winner in Washington with only minutes to go.

Pinching into the slot, Sergei Gonchar one-timed a Steve Konowalchuk pass through Roman Turek with 2:04 remaining to vault the Capitals to a 3-2 victory over the visiting Calgary Flames.

Derek Morris missed a wide open net in the dying seconds to seal the victory for the Capitals.

Flames are now 1-1 on this epic nine game road trip with a tough game in Philadelphia looming tomorrow night.

Calgary has won only twice in its last 13 visits to Washington.

For a team on the playoff bubble that has to count any loss as devastating with the season winding into the middle of March, Calgary had to find this one particularly bitter.

Although badly outclassed in the second period, the Flames were taking the play to Washington in the third only to allow Gonchar's backbreaker at the decisive moment.

Face Offs	Hits
Powerplay Chances	Shots on Goal

The loss also snapped a modest three game winning steak, leaving Calgary at 26-25-9-3 on the season, good for 64 points and 11th spot in the NHL's Western Conference. Calgary started the night five back of Dallas and Phoenix, tied for seventh in the West. Edmonton got past the Lightning in Tampa moving the Oilers five points up on the Flames.

If there was a bright spot on the night it was Jarome Iginla extending his lead in the NHL scoring race with a goal and an assist, now with an eight point lead over Markus Naslund of Vancouver with 74 points.

Iginla is the first Flame to score 40 or more goals since Theo Fleury in 1995-96, the last year Calgary qualified for the playoffs as well. Twenty-nine of his goals have been at even strength.

Washington opened scoring in the first period on the power play, Petr Bondra sneaking in from the point to blow a cross-ice Adam Oates pass through Turek at 7:33.

Flames tied it only 59 seconds later when Iginla stripped Bondra of the puck and raced in alone on Olaf Kolzig, deking the Washington goalie to his knees then putting the puck in the net for his 40th of the season at 8:32.

Bondra added his second of the game only 2:19 into the middle period when Derek Morris and Petr Buzek moved to control the troublesome Chris Simon in front of Turek, allowing Bondra to carry the puck out front and take several swipes before lighting the lamp.

Flames were fortunate they exited the period even remotely close, let alone tied as they racked up three straight penalties in front of a lethal Capitals power play.

But Clarke Wilm was the beneficiary of an Iginla pass that sprang him loose short-handed for the tying marker at 14:30.

Caps were one for five on the power play while the Flames, with a brief glimpse of the man-advantage to close the game, were zero for one.

The train journey continues for the Flames. They hopped the railroad for the ride from Washington for tonight's contest against Philadelphia after riding from New York after an earlier game with the Rangers.

 

Scoreboard
	Washington Capitals	3
	Calgary Flames	2

Box Score

FLAMES LINES

OUR THREE STARS

1) Roman Turek - One of his best games in a while and terrific in the second period when his team needed him to bail them out of some wasteful penalties 

2) Petr Bondra - Two goals and tried to drill Bob Boughner for good measure. 

3) Jarome Iginla - showed Jaromir Jagr, who also had a very good game, that he's for real.

HIT OF THE GAME

Petr Bondra lined up Bob Boughner halfway through the second period but bounced a fair distance off the rock solid Flames defenceman. We'll give him the award for thinking about it if nothing else.

SAVE OF THE GAME

With his team down 2-1 in the second period and the Capitals pressing, Turek stared down Jagr in the slot to give his team a chance.

NOTES & STATS

Dave Lowry has flown back to Calgary to deal with a separated shoulder suffered in the Ranger game on Monday . . . . Flames outhit the Capitals 24-15 on the night with the bash brothers Boughner and Denis Gauthier leading the way with six and five apiece. Simon and Ken Klee had three each for the Capitals . . . . .Bondra had scored only three times in his previous 19 games before scoring twice against Calgary . . . . . Flames are 6-7-2-1 when tied after two periods. . . . . Flames coach Greg Gilbert matched Gauthier with Jagr, who had 10 points in his last five games entering the contest . . . . . Turek leads NHL goalies in scoring points with five . . . . . Calgary was 52% in the faceoff circle which didn't hide the effort of Washington's Andrei Nikolishin who won 12 of 13 for a 92% success rate. Jeff Shantz was 72% for the Flames. . . . . Petr Buzek and Gauthier were credited with four blocked shots each . . . . .Capitals are the third oldest team in the league behind the Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings. There is no tomorrow for Washington.