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Flames
Aves Tie in Thriller
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Side Comes From Behind Three Times
November 2nd, 2002
D'Arcy McGrath
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AP Photo |
| Bruisin' Bob: The Flames
and Avalanche put on a show on Saturday night. |
Can't these two teams ever settle a
game together?
The Calgary Flames and Colorado
Avalanche skated to a 4-4 tie in Calgary on Saturday night, putting on a
coast to coast display of hockey in the West.
The tie wouldn't come as a shock to
those that follow the two teams given the fact that they tied up three
of their five encounters last season.
Who's to say a tie game isn't exciting?
The game was somewhat of a coming out
party for two rookies and a misfit.
Jordan Leopold played his best game as
a Calgary Flame. He still made mistakes, but managed to do more with the
puck and put his skating ability on display for the first time this
season.
Chuck Kobasew and Rob Niedermayer both
had strong games as well, Niedermayer having his best game in a Flame
uniform, coming close to scoring on numerous occasions.
These developments bode well for a club
heading out on a five game eastern swing.
The Flames opened the scoring on a
first period powerplay. Martin Gelinas accepted a deftly deflected Toni
Lydman pass from Jarome Iginla and walked in beating Patrick Roy.
The Flames held a decisive edge in play
through the first 18 minutes of play before the Avalanche's star players
took over.
First Joe Sakic jumped on a gargantuan
Jamie McLennan rebound and whipped home his first of the season.
Then 22 seconds later, Sakic was back,
this time setting up Peter Forsberg, parked on the edge of the crease
uncovered, to give the Avalanche a 2-1 first period lead.
The Avalanche could have added to their
lead early in the second when they seized the Calgary cage on a
powerplay. Jamie McLennan stood tall however stopping six shots within
the two minute advantage.
The Flames tied the score late in the
second when ex-Avalanche Chris Drury spotted a sneaky Jordan Leopold
coming in from the point on the powerplay. Leopold one timed the
offering for his second of the season.
The period ended on a bizarre note when
Denis Gauthier came out of the penalty box with less than five seconds
to play. The puck appeared before him sending the defensive defenceman
in alone. Just as he arrived near the net he flew through the air
resulting in an extended arm from the official. Instead of sending Blake
off for tripping, Gauthier was signaled for diving. Was it diving? Could
have been, it's really hard to say, but to call a diving penalty on a
breakaway? Tough call to make.
The Avalanche failed to score with the
diving induced powerplay to open the third, but managed to go ahead on
the next rush when Joe Sakic took a Peter Forsberg pass and potted his
second of the night.
The lead didn't last long.
The game was tied again 15 seconds
later when Craig Conroy used linemate Jarome Iginla as a screen and
scored his third of the year.
Milan Hejduk put the visitors up a goal
again when he took advantage of a near side over commitment by McLennan
to whisk around the goal and stuff it in far side.
But the Flames were not to be out done
on this night, running a 13-4 third period shots advantage to an
eventual tying goal my Gelinas, his second of the night on a deflection.
The overtime was as eventful as the
rest of the night with some glorious chances including a foiled Iginla
breakaway and a late Flames powerplay.
The next action for the Flames is road
encounter with the New York Islanders on Monday night.
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