It wasn't the ideal
way to start the second
half.
Calgary Flames, who
haven't surrendered four
goals in a game since
the first quarter pole
of the season, did just
that in Toronto last
night, the Leafs
matching the swift
Flames stride for stride
and hit for hit,
lowering the boom in a
4-1 victory.
Flames defensive game
has gotten them this far
in a remarkable season,
but for the most part
the Leafs wore Calgary
down in this one, giving
up very little in taking
over first place overall
in the NHL with the win.
Toronto spent much of
the night doing an
excellent job throwing a
defensive net on the
frustrated Flames, while
counterattacking with
ease.
It wasn't totally
one-sided but the Leafs
were clearly the better
team through much of the
evening, the Flames only
periodically displaying
their speed game or
generating much in the
way of offensive
creativity.
Flames managed to
generate only 16 shots
on Ed Belfour in the
Leafs net.
At the other end, it
was a night Jamie
McLennan hadn't seen in
a while, defensive
miscues and missed
assignments leading to
concerted Leaf pressure,
although they totaled
only 23 shots in the
end.
"I think we were
flat," defenceman
Robyn Regehr told FAN960
after the game. "We
didn't play with any
energy. We didn't help
Jamie out at all. We let
point slips through our
hands. Very, very
important points."
It was also a
grinding, physical
affair on a
shift-by-shift basis
with both sides laying
some large hits and
cheap shots on the other
side.
"They were
playing in our zone the
whole time," Regehr
added. "Rarely did
we put any pressure on
them. It was pretty easy
for them."
While the Flames
haven't had much success
in Toronto lately, the
loss was nonetheless
surprising given Calgary
had rung up nine
straight wins against
Eastern Conference
opponents.
Calgary falls to
23-14-3-3 on the season,
stuck at 50 points.
Flames are in sixth
place in the NHL's tough
Western Conference, two
points ahead of
Nashville with two games
in hand. Flames are five
points ahead of Los
Angeles for ninth place
with a game in hand.
The Flames lost the
special teams battle,
going zero for five on
their power play chances
while the Leafs scored
twice on five chances
with the man advantage.
In the end, that was
probably the difference
in the game.
Bryan McCabe scored
twice for the Leafs
while Nik Antropov and
Tom Fitzgerald added
single goals.
Shean Donovan scored
a beauty at the end of
the second period for
the Flames, accepting a
Lynn Loyns pass behind
his back, deflecting it
through his legs to his
forehand, cutting to the
net and popping the
water bottle to tie the
game.
Then the roof fell
in, the Leafs scoring
three times in the
third.
Flames will have less
than 24 hours to cry in
their beer, playing in
Washington on Wednesday
night.
