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Five
Goal 3rd Sinks Habs
D'Arcy
McGrath
November 3rd, 2001
Much of the off-season focus
for the Calgary Flames surrounded offence.
Spectators in the press box, on
the street, and likely within the dressing room looked at the
Flames lineup and wondered from where the scoring would
come.
Fingers pointed at a lineup very thin in top two line
forwards.
One of the most significant
changes to the Flames roster this season, has been largely
overlooked.
Calgary coach Greg Gilbert
started his fourth line against Montreal on Saturday.
The puck never left the
Montreal zone.
Getting off on the right foot
on home ice is so crucial in the NHL, and a noticeable upgrade
to the team's bottom six forwards has provided the spark the
team needs.
Players like Craig Berube,
Steve Begin, Scott Nichol, Clarke Wilm, Ron Petrovicky and
Jamie Wright take the body, keep it simple, and never take a
shift off.
The little things that have as
much to do with the Flames hot start as Roman Turek or Jarome
Iginla.
Of the six goals scored by the
Calgary Flames on Saturday night in downing the Montreal
Canadiens, only one came from a predictable source.Â
The game's first goal came from
the Flames big line however, as Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy
set up Dean McAmmond off to the side of the Montreal cage on
an extended Flames cycle.
The play was actually set up
with the previous shift as Clarke Wilm's line kept the
Canadiens pinned in their own zone, allowing for a line change
that led to the goal.
McAmmond took the puck out from
beside the net and slid it along the ice past a sprawling
Matheiu Garon.
The second period featured
numerous chances for the Flames to add to their lead, but the
Canadiens scored twice to take a two to one lead.
Much like the Columbus game of
two nights earlier, the stage was set for the typical Calgary
Flame home defeat.
But also like Thursday night,
the Flames found a way to win - this time in explosive fashion
scoring five in the third to run away.
"We were all confident
going into the third period and that's been our attitude all
year," said Iginla.
Jarome Iginla, converting a
clever goal mouth pass from Dave Lowry, tied the score with
his ninth of the season.
Two minutes later Ron
Petrovicky, with his first of two on the night scored the
eventual game winner, on a play set up by yet another
thundering hit by the Slovak winger.
The game was essentially put
out of reach on the tail end of a Montreal two man advantage.
Criag Conroy outmuscled a Hab defender near the Flames
blueline and chipped the puck out of his zone. A streaking
Lowry, just out of the penalty box caught up to the puck and
fired a chip shot over Garon's shoulder.
Petrovicky and Conroy finished
out the scoring to give the Flames their tenth win on the
season, and their seventh on Saddledome ice.
Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy
finished with three points each, both with a goal and an
assits.
Iginla's three points extend
his points streak to seven games, and his overall total to 23
points in 14 games.
Â
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Box Score
OUR
THREE STARS
1) CRAIG CONROY
- Three
points on the night, and a gritty overall performance.Â
2) RON PETROVICKY
- Two
goals, another injured opponent and numerous highlight reel
hits.Â
3) JAROME IGINLA
- Break
out season continues as Iginla adds another three points to
his league leading tally.
HIT
OF THE GAME
Ron Petrovicky again. Petrovicky stepped into Stephane
Quintal as the Montreal defender fought for the puck with
Clarke Wilm along the boards. Quintal immediately left the ice
and appeared to be favouring his shoulder on the Montreal
bench. "I tried to hurt him a little bit",
Petrovicky told CBC, "We keep winning, I'll keep doing
that".
FIGHT
OF THE GAME
As the clock was running out a retro line brawl broke out
in the Flames zone, with Robyn Regehr, Bob Boughner and Chad
Kilger in the eye of the storm. Boughner and Kilger dropped
the gloves with Boughner pounding out the decision to add a
little insult to six goals of injury.
NOTES
& STATS
The Flames appear to have met
their match in the face off circle as Yanic Perreault and his
70% success rate led the Habs to a 51% night on draws ...
Craig Conroy still had a great night, winning 58% of his face
offs. ... Speaking of Craig Conroy, is he not a microcosm of
the team itself? Off to a good start that just keeps on
extending? When does the Conroy scoring touch no longer
represent a good start, and start becoming a good season? His
career best season was back in 1997-98 when he notched 14
goals and 43 points. Through 14 games this season Conroy
already has 7 goals and 16 points, on pace for 41 goals and 94
points. ... Speaking of paces ... Jarome Iginla's additional
three points tonight has him on a 53 goal, 135 point pace. ...
The Flames out shot the Canadiens tonight by a 36-24 mark, and
were led by Chris Clark with seven, yes seven shots on goal.
... Want an obscure statistic? The Flames had ten takeaways
during the game to Montreal's two. Dave Lowry and Jamie Wright
had two apiece. ... Montreal and Calgary have shared more than
just Stanley Cup history in the 1980's. Both teams get hurt
... often. Tonight the Flames sent two additional Habs to the
sidelines as Martin Rucinsky and Stephane Quintal both had to
leave the game with an eye and shoulder injury respectively.
... For the record, the Flames didn't win their tenth game
until December 16th last season. .... The win gives the Flames
seven out of a possible eight points on a home stand that many
felt was crucial to sustaining the team's good start. Next up
a swing through California.
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Calgary
Flames 6 Montreal Canadiens 2
