Flames Blow Another Lead

Drop Overtime Game to St. Louis


October 26th, 2002
D'Arcy McGrath

AP Photo

Home Sweet Home?: Flames come up empty on home ice again.

Sooner or later they're going to have to put in a full night's work.

For the fourth straight Saddledome appearance the Calgary Flames found a way to limit their take, dropping a 4-3 over time decision to the St. Louis Blues.

And, just like their previous engagements the Flames appeared to be on their way to their first home victory only to give up the big goal with dwindling amounts of time left on the clock.

"We can't keep coughing up games and points," Flames coach Greg Gilbert said. "We've proved we can play with teams like St. Louis, but when it comes down to some tough situations in the game, we are not reacting properly."

The Flames took a first period lead when Jordan Leopold scored his first goal in both the season and his career. 

Early in the second period the Blues tied it on a powerplay when former Oiler captain Doug Weight notched his fourth goal of the season. Before the contest was over, Weight was to add two assists to his total in a dominating performance.

Before the end of the second period the Flames retook their lead when Martin Gelinas added his fourth of the season to send the Flames to the third period with a lead.

Sound familiar?

The Blues owned the third period territorially, scoring twice on ten final frame shots compared to the Flames one goal on six.

Cory Stillman notched the game at two just four minutes in, then put the Blues up for the first time two minutes later. The former Flame now has four goals and eight points on the season.

The Flames tied the score on a powerplay, breaking a four game and over 20 advantage slump. The goal came with the club's third line on the ice with Chris Clark doing the honours. Clark now has three goals and six points on the season, putting him just a point behind Jarome Iginla and 5th on the club.

Finally with just 24 seconds left on the clock Eric Boguniecki, the Blues rookie, put the game away in overtime, giving the Blues their fifth straight win.

The overtime loss has the Flames winless in their last four games, but still in 8th place in the conference with eight points in nine games.

An optimist would point out that the Flames do have points in seven of their last eight games though they've let more than one opponent wiggle off the hook.

Will the points in disappointing out comes be the difference this season, or will the points lost on home ice early be the team's downfall when April comes around?

The Flames now get four days off before playing the Buffalo Sabres at home on Thursday.

 

 

 

Scoreboard

St. Louis Blues 4
Calgary Flames 3

Box Score

FLAMES LINES

Niedermayer Savard Iginla
Gelinas Conroy Drury
Wright Yelle Clark
Berube Johansson Sloan
 
Lydman Regehr
Gauthier Boughner
Buzek Leopold

OUR THREE STARS

1 Cory Stillman - Former Flames erases a Flame third period lead with two important goals. 

2 Doug Weight - Former Oiler picks up a goal and two assists centering the game's first star. 

3 Chris Clark - Third line winger puts in another solid effort, scores for the second straight game.

SAVE OF THE GAME

A wandering Freddy Brathwaite scrambles back into his crease just in time to foil Martin Gelinas.

HIT OF THE GAME

Denis Gauthier flattened a downward gazing Pavol Demitra in the game's opening frame.

NOTES & STATS

Martin Gelinas now has four goals and eight assists making the early reviews on the Flame's second "Dean McAmmond experiment" favourable. Last season Gelinas had 13 goals and 29 points, but this season he's on pace for 36 goals and 73 points. ... Three of the Flames seven powerplay goals have been scored with the team up two men. ... The Blues roster features three former Flames in Fred Brathwaite, Al MacInnis and Cory Stillman. ... Both squads enjoyed five powerplays on the night, the Blues scored twice and the Flames once.

 

  Calgarypuck.com
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