Even the
most casual hockey fan
could tell you that good
teams are built on a
foundation of good
special teams.
The Los
Angeles Kings gave the
Flames a painful
reminder of such, in
scoring four powerplay
goals on their way to a
4-2 victory over Calgary
on Thursday night at the
Staple Center.
Of
course it helps when you
get a rational
performance from the two
assigned NHL officials,
but that's beside the
point.
Team's
that succeed battle
through tough calls or
bad officiating and find
a way to win.
Going
into tonight's action
the 14 current non
playoff teams can boast
the league's 28th, 29th
and 30th best powerplays,
as well as the circuits'
25th, 27th, 28th and
30th best penalty
killing crews.
Five on
five hockey is
important, you need to
break even in even
situations, but that
maters little if your
getting murdered with
skaters off the ice.
This
night was predominantly
played with less than 12
players on the
ice.
The
Kings themselves had 12
powerplay opportunities,
and managed to score all
four of their goals mad
advantage situations.
First
Rick Heinze scored a
first period powerplay
goal, by turning crease
crossing pass into a
bank shot off of Denis
Gauthier to make it 1-0.
The
Flames tied it up later
in the period when
Jarome Iginla pounced on
a loose puck created by
some fierce penalty kill
fore checking to notch
his second short handed
goal of the season.
The
second period featured
three Kings powerplay
goal sin succession to
salt away the Flames
third straight loss on
this now completed four
game road trip.
|
2003
Draft Watch |
|
If
the draft was held
today ... |
|
Pick
|
Team
|
Player*
|
| 1 |
Buffalo |
Nikolai
Zherdev |
| 2 |
Carolina |
Marc
Andre Fleury |
| 3 |
Atlanta |
Eric
Stall |
| 4 |
Calgary |
Nathan
Horton |
| 5 |
Phoenix |
Milan
Michalek |
| *ranking:
McKeen's
2/13/03 |
|
First
Ziggy Palffy jumped on a
big Roman Turek rebound
to make it 2-1.
Two
minutes later Derek
Armstrong scored his 8th
of the season by one
timing a well threaded
cross ice pass.
Less
than five minutes later
it was 4-1 L.A. when Joe
Corvo beat Turek for his
fifth of the season.
Jarome
Iginla rounded out the
scoring by netting his
2nd of the night on a
third period powerplay
to make the final 4-2
Los Angeles.
For
Iginla, it was his 7th
goal on the four game
trip, giving him 22 on
the season.
The win
keeps the Kings playoff
hopes alive as they
three points of the 9th
place Blackhawks, and
seven points within the
reach of their cross
town rivals, the Ducks
for the 8th and final
playoff spot.
The loss
moves the Flames 10
games under .500 for the
first time this season,
and puts them last in
the West, and 27th
overall.
Next up
for the Flames is a home
date with the Vancouver
Canucks at the
Saddledome on Saturday
night.
The
contest is the third of
CBC Hockey Day in Canada
triple header featuring
all six Canadian teams.
Get
Your
Calgarypuck
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