The NHL's hottest
sniper went stone cold.
Jarome Iginla managed
to beat Shark netminder
Vesa Toskala with a
ripper of a wrist shot
inside the short side
post earlier in the game
but wasn't able to
duplicate the feat on a
decisive penalty shot
midway through the third
period, leaving San Jose
with a 3-2 home ice win
last night over the
Calgary Flames.
Iginla's earlier
goal, his 32nd of the
season and his 17th in
the last 17 games, was
vintage for the Calgary
superstar, hurtling down
the right wing and
catching Toskala napping
high inside the minor
league post.
But Toskala must have
been taking notes,
aggressively staring
down Iginla when it
mattered later in the
game when the Flames
forward was allowed a
penalty shot with the
Sharks ahead 3-2.
It was the third
penalty shot of Iginla's
career. He has yet to
score.
For Toskala, it was
only his second career
NHL win as he turned
aside 32 Calgary shots.
The game wasn't as
highlight reel for
Calgary starter Roman
Turek, a soft backhand
from a wide angle by
Vincent Damphousse on a
San Jose powerplay
proving to be the winner
at 5:47 of the third.
|
2003
Draft Watch |
|
If
the draft was held
today ... |
|
Pick
|
Team
|
Player*
|
| 1 |
Buffalo |
M.-A.
Fleury |
| 2 |
Atlanta |
Milan
Michalek |
| 3 |
Carolina |
Nikolai
Zherdev |
| 4 |
Pittsburgh |
Nathan
Horton |
| 5 |
Columbus |
Braydon
Coburn |
| 6 |
Calgary |
Eric
Staal |
| 7 |
San
Jose |
Andrei
Kastsitsyn |
| *ranking:
Red
Line 2/26/03 |
|
Turek finished with
25 saves.
The loss left Calgary
at 24-33-10-4 on the
season, the Flames mired
in 14th place in the
NHL's Western
Conference.
On the other side of
the ledger, the win
enabled the Sharks to
escape the final
ignominy of their
terrible season, keeping
their ex-coach Darryl
Sutter in their
rear-view mirror, San
Jose now two points
ahead of the Flames in
the standings.
The Flames were seven
points behind the Sharks
when Sutter took the
reins in Calgary just
after Christmas.
Calgary opened
scoring courtesy of the
lazy play of Teemu
Selanne, the veteran
Sharks winger failing to
detect Scott Nichol
sweeping in behind him
to hammer a short-handed
Toni Lydman pass behind
Toskala at 5:26 of the
first period.
Nicholas Dmitrakos
held the puck long
enough to spring Patrick
Marleau free at the side
of the Calgary net for
an easy marker, tying
the game at the 54
second mark of the
second period.
But Iginla's goal at
3:01 of the second
returned the lead to
Calgary before new Shark
Alyn McAuley brought the
Sharks even, the ex-Leaf
shooting a loose puck
from behind the Flames
net, more of a centering
attempt, that hit Turek
and spun into the
Calgary net to knot the
score 2-2 at 14:46.
From there it was
Damphousse with the
eventual winner, a
groaner that Turek
should have had, plus
the final denouement,
Toskala stopping Iginla
on a penalty shot.
With his 32nd of the
season and 11 games yet
to play, Iginla may yet
net 40 by the end of the
season, a remarkable
happenstance considering
he had only seven at the
Christmas break.
Calgary was zero for
four on the power play
while San Jose scored
twice in four attempts.
Next up is Anaheim.
