There
is something very right
about a 1-0 victory by
the Calgary Flames
coming over the Edmonton
Oilers a day less than
20 years after the then
Olympic Saddledome
opened in Calgary.
|
| McAmmond |
Conroy |
Iginla |
| Gelinas |
Yelle |
Donovan |
| Saprykin |
Lombardi |
Kobasew |
| Oliwa |
Betts |
Clark |
| Ference |
Lydman |
| Leopold |
Regehr |
| Gauthier |
Warrener |
|
A one goal win would have meant the same in the standings regardless of score.
And
... when coupled
together, a one goal win
would have settled the
goal differential
between the game on
October 15th, 1983 and
October 14th, 2003.
But
one couldn't help but
feel a certain nostalgia
in that this one goal
seemed to even that old
score at four aside,
especially since it came
a handful of days after
the the Oiler hero of
that old game, Grant
Fuhr, had his jersey
retired in Edmonton.
The
Flames out shot the
Oilers by a margin of
41-31 on that night.
Tonight
they came up short on
the shot clock by a tune
of 19-15 but came away
with the victory and the
lion's share of chances
to run their season
record to 2-1-0 on the
season.
The
first period was a very
terse one with both
teams thinking more
about not making a
mistake than forcing the
issue in the other
team's zone. The two
clubs just managed ten
shots combined though
the Flames rang one off
the cross bar and
another off a goal post.
The
second period was more
of the same with the
chess match moving into
an even slower pace,
though there were some
interesting moments.
The
Flames finally broke the
scoreless tie when the
"Kid Line" out
for another crack at the
powerplay after being
successful early in the
San Jose encounter on
Saturday night struck
again for the game's
only goal.
Blair
Betts took a pass from
Andrew Ference and fired
a shot past Tomi Salo
... a goal that looked
to belong to Oleg
Saprykin and his crease
crashing chaos on first
inspection.
It
held up.
The
Alberta rivals played a
very conservative third
period to match the
first two, much to the
delight of the leading
home side, giving the
Flames the ability to
salt away the one goal
victory.
After
the game, Oiler
blueliner Eric Brewer
commented on the style
of play.
"The
Flames D kept everything
to the outside and gave
us very little. Without
the ability to get to
the net, it was very
tough to get things
going", he
commented on 960 radio
after the game.
Were
the Flames that solid in
their own zone, or the
Oilers that anemic in
mounting attack?
Something in between?
The
Oilers have now been
shut out for a total of
122:02 of regular season
action dating back to
their dramatic third
period in their opening
win against San Jose.
Given
the reaction of Oiler
coach Craig MacTavish
after their Saturday
setback in Vancouver,
you'd have to think he's
really steamed now.
"In
my mind, a shutout is a
humiliation of your
hockey club. You go 60
minutes and you can't
put the puck in the net?
The object of the game
is to score goals",
MacTavish told the
Edmonton Sun on Saturday
night.
For
the Flames, they now sit
a game over .500 and in
a playoff spot despite
the fact their #1
goaltender is on the
sidelines and their top
line hasn't a point
between them.
Quite
a feat when you think
about it.
Though
one had the feeling that
tonight's game was an
echo, a chance to
remember the past and
maybe put that final
puck past Grant Fuhr.
That
edition out played the
Oilers and fell short
... this squad got it
done.
 
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