Calgary Flames 2 Chicago Blackhawks 2

Surprise Teams Tie

D'Arcy McGrath

November 15th, 2001

A couple of seasons ago, serving Flames captain, Steve Smith, uttered some wise words surrounding the topic of streaks in the National Hockey League.

The gist of his logic was that losing streaks start long before the team's first loss and winning streaks start long before the first win. Bad or good habits are formed, then the inevitable results come later, in a nut shell.

At the time the thought was put forward in order to provide solace in yet another gritty Flames effort with a less that amicable result, but the words are no less true today.

Only the shoe in on the other foot.

The Flames failed to ice their best game for the fourth straight outing in coming from behind for a 2-2 tie with the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

However, just like the last four outings, they managed to find a point in a game they likely should have lost.

The game started with little doubt which team had just come off the four day rest, as Calgary was flat and listless through the opening ten minutes.

Roman Turek turned away many a Hawk chance before giving up the game's first goal to Ryan Vandenbussche on a breakaway. On the play, ex-Hawk Jamie Allison made a poor pinch decision in playing the body and surrendering a break. Turek went down to cover the angles, but had the puck chipped over him on a back hand shot.

The Hawks doubled their lead in the second period when Steve Sullivan took advantage of a Michael Nylander pick play to circle the net and beat a very well screened Turek.

As a second period, possibly worse than the first, was winding down the ever so hot Denis Gauthier fired a seemingly harmless shot towards the Chicago cage only to have Jamie Wrigth tip the puck past a startled Jocelyn Thibeault. 

After two the score sat 2-1 to the visitor's favour, a score that greatly flattered the home side.

The late goal in the second appeared to give the Hawks the jitters as the third period started, as the visitors fell into a defensive scheme that saw them repeatedly ice the puck.

As is often the case with sitting on the lead, the Flames finally managed to bust through when Dean McAmmond converted the rebound from a Derek Morris powerplay point shot past Thibeault as he was falling.

The goal sent the game to overtime, as well as extending both McAmmond and Jarome Iginla's point streaks.

Iginla's streak now sits at 12 games.

In overtime both teams had chances, but nothing of the alarming variety.

The tie moves the Flames to 12-2-2-2 through 18 games on the season.

The Hawks not sit 12-5-4-0.

Both teams have 28 points, though Chicago has played three additional games.

Box Score


OUR THREE STARS

1) Dean McAmmond - Notches game tying goal with less than four minutes to play. 

2) Steve Poapst - Utility defender played a solid game taking the body, plus one on the night.

3) Derek Morris - Clearly still favouring his back, Morris returns to action with an assist and a fight.


HIT OF THE GAME

Denis Gauthier toppling Michael Nylander along the boards in the second period. 


FIGHT OF THE GAME

For the second straight Flame/Hawk encounter Mark Bell challenges Derek Morris leading to a fight. Morris got the better of this one. Two guys that don't like each other or a wily Bryan Sutter trying to take a skilled player off the ice for five minutes? 


NOTES & STATS

Three Colorado players, Rob Blake ($9 million), Joe Sakic ($10 million) and Patrick Roy ($9 million) make as much as the entire Flames roster. . . . . Flames were without the services of Derek Morris who went down with a back injury early in the LA game. . . . . . Calgary has now outscored the opposition 23-8 in the third period so far this year. . . . . . Gauthier, Toni Lydman and unheralded Jamie Wright led the Flames with three shots each. . . . . . Lydman filled in for Morris, logging 25:35 in ice time for the Flames.


 

 

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