Calgary Flames 5 Los Angeles Kings 5

Flames Continue Streak with Wild One

D'Arcy McGrath

November 20th, 2001

Fair is fair.

Over the past couple of weeks the Calgary Flames have found a way to win or tie games, that in reality they should have lost.

That way was Roman Turek.

Turek's all-world goaltending proved the difference in games in California, a shut out victory over the Avalanche, a tie with the Blackhawks and another shut out against Turek's former mates, the St. Louis Blues.

On Thursday night a 5-5 tie with the Kings displayed a measure of pay back, a game in which the usually stellar Turek was less than stellar leading the Flames to gain one point in a contest that likely should have resulted in two.

Though it's been said repeatedly this season, once again the end result was a point in a game where the table was set to come up empty.

The Kings opened the scoring with their first of two first period powerplay goals, both while the newly returned Marc Savard cooled his heals in the penalty box.

Savard's intensity was evident early as he took roughing and high sticking penalties, essentially fitting himself for goat horns minutes into his return.

By midway through the second period he'd found a way to redeem himself.

With an assist on yet another Jarome Iginla goal, sandwiched between the King's powerplay goals by Randy Robitaille and Bryan Smolinski, he was well on his way to a three point night.

Early in the second Savard scored on a powerplay, his second goal of the season after missing fifteen games. On the play Savard took a drop pass from Scott Nichol and fired a low shot through Felix Potvin's legs.

Less than two minutes later with the Flames back on a powerplay, Savard set up Scott Nichol and sent the diminutive winger in alone to notch his second of the season.

The goal appeared to put the Flames in control in a period that saw them take two goal leads twice on additional goals by Iginla and Ron Petrovicky.

On most nights the margin would have been sufficient.

Not this time however.


Roman Turek was beaten twice on eight third period shots, yielding goals to Jason Allison, his second of the game, and Zigmund Palffy to send the game into overtime.

In the extra frame each team had chances but failed to score.

Of the five goals that got by Turek, he'd likely wish to have four of them back as he was caught out of position or beat from tough angles.

"Every player will have a tough night and for me it was this game", Turek told the Calgary Sun after the game.

In the end however, Turek was due for a tough start, and like his last average outing, a 5-4 overtime loss to Nashville, the Flames provided enough offence to find a point.

The unbeaten streak continues.

Box Score


OUR THREE STARS

1) Marc Savard - Returns with a three point, two penalty, emotion soaked performance. Took his place back with Jarome Iginla as Craig Conroy was unable to go.

2) Jason Allison - Two goals for the Kings, talented pivot is finding his game after an early November trade to the Kings.

3) Jarome Iginla - Torrid scoring pace continues with another two goal performance, pushing his season mark to 18.


HIT OF THE GAME

Denis Gauthier stood the Kings talented forward Ziggy Palffy up beside the Flames net, sending the Slovak crashing to the ice. He didn't get up.


FIGHT OF THE GAME

Seconds after the Palffy hit Gauthier was approached by Randy Robitaille in an effort to stick up for his talented teammate. Gauthier added insult to injury by pummeling Robitaille to the ice with successive rights. Many other good fights on the under-card including Bob Boughner in a one side decision over Kelly Buchberger, Buchberger edging Calgary's Jeff Cowan, Jamie Allison and Ian Laperriere fighting to a draw, and Chris Clark and Phillipe Boucher in a yet another tussle.


NOTES & STATS

The Flames wasted little time in working Marc Savard back into the mix as the team's number one center found the ice for a total of 24:43 of ice time on the night. The only forward with more ice was Iginla at 26:25. Derek Morris led the team with 29:05. ... Aaron Miller led all Kings with 26:11. ... The Flames had been out shot in five consecutive contests including being doubled up by the Blues 38-19 on Saturday night. All that changed tonight as the Flames carried the play with a 40-21 mark against the Kings. ... Rob Niedermayer had a miserable night in the face off circle only finding success on eight of 23 draws. ... Los Angeles finished two for two on the powerplay, the Flames were two for five. ... Attendance took a bit of a hit on the night, dropping down to 14,550 after sitting over 16,000 for each of the last couple of games. ... Roman Turek came into the game with a .940 save percentage but let in five goals on only 21 shots for an individual game mark of .762. His season mark sits at .933. ... The tie keeps Turek unbeaten in regulation time this season, the Flames unbeaten in nine, and with points in ten straight contests.


 

 

Please Take our Survey

 

 

Â