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Flames
Murdered in Motown
D'Arcy
McGrath
November
25th, 2001
During
the recent
home-stand the
Flames were playing
with fire.
Game
after game the
team's defensive
zone miscues and
poor coverage were
masked by stellar
goaltending by Roman
Turek, or blown
chances by the
opposition. On three
other occasions
called back goals
saved their bacon.
As
is often the case a
team that plays with
fire, gets burned,
and so is the case
with the Calgary
Flames.
A
very bad second
period sent the
Flames to their
fifth consecutive
decision without a
victory, as the
Flames fell to the
Detroit Red Wings on
Tuesday night.
Of
course the
opposition deserves
some credit, too
especially when they
lead the league with
20 wins, and have
only failed to find
eight of a possible
50 points coming
into the matchup.
Yet
the Flames, not the
high powered Wings,
were their own worst
enemy in this one.
Like
previous games on
this road trip, weak
defensive zone
coverage, and colossal
cough ups have led
to numerous
opposition goals -
with numerous not
being an
overstatement for
affect. On the trip
the team gave up no
fewer than 17 goals
in four games, for
an average of 4.25
per game.
The
defensive gates
opening have
resulted in a team
defence slip from
first overall to a
much less acceptable
ninth.
First
Igor Kravchuk let
Tomas Holmstrom get
loose in front of
the net to put the
Wings up by a score
of 1-0. Replays were
inconclusive, but
Kravchuk may have
tipped it by the
Flames goaltender, Roman
Turek.
In
the second period
back to back gaffs
by Derek Morris
erased a 2-2 tie and
gave the Wings a
fairly easy third
period in cruising
to their 21st
victory of the
season .
First
Morris lost his
check, Kirk Maltby,
off a face-off in
the Calgary zone.
Yzerman fed the puck
to Brett Hull who
fired a one timer
that just missed the
Flames cage. As the
puck bounced off the
backboards Maltby
lifted it high over
Turek's shoulder to
put the Wings up for
good.
A
few minutes later
Morris was caught
trying to glove the
puck down at the
Wings blueline, only
to have the puck
bounce over his head
and into a deadly
Wings two on one.
On
the play, Igor
Larionov fed the
puck to Luc
Robitaille, and the
former King blasted
a high shot over a
helpless Turek.
The
third period saw the
Wings patiently
playing down the
clock, with the
Flames unable to
mount much pressure.
The team's fourth
game in six nights
may have been
catching up to them.
Robyn Regehr scored the
other Flames goal in
the first period.
Brett Hull also
replied for the Red
Wings.
The
Wings outshot the
Flames by a 32-21
margin, which
included a 12-12
mark after the first
period.
|
Box Score
FLAMES
LINES
| McAmmond |
Conroy |
Iginla |
| Niedermayer |
Savard |
Clark |
| Petrovicky |
Wilm |
Wright |
| Lowry |
Begin |
Cowan |
| Regehr |
Morris |
| Gauthier |
Lydman |
| Kravchuk |
Boughner |
OUR
THREE STARS
1)
Boyd Devereaux -
Former Oiler stood
out all night with
hustle and heads up
plays. Ended with
two assists.
2)
Brett Hull -
Former St. Louis and
Dallas sniper scored
a patented one time
goal, and set up
another.
3)
Dean McAmmond -
Made the most happen
on the Flames side
of things. Goal and
an assist in the
first period.
SAVE
OF THE GAME
Dominic Hasek was one part fortunate and yet
another part skillful when he dropped and stacked the pads in the first period
during a goal mouth scramble. Dave Lowry corraled the puck and fired it directly
into Hasek's glove at a time that the Flames were looking to take a 3-2 lead.
The Wings went on to take control in the second period.
HIT
OF THE GAME
Late
in the second
period,
Flame-killer, Darren
McCarthy caught an
unsuspecting Denis
Gauthier with a
thunderous hit into
the boards as the
defenceman pinched
in on an offensive
opportunity.
Gauthier, no
stranger to the
"hit of the
game" section,
was quickly up on
his feat and back
into the play.
NOTES
& STATS
The
Flames struggling
penalty killing
looked much better
against the Wings'
high octane
powerplay, foiling
the group three
times, including a
section down two
men. ... The Flames
came up empty on
their only chance of
the night. ... Robyn
Regehr scored his
first goal of the
season. ... Roman
Turek's
streak of gaining at
least a point for
the team in every
games he's played
this season came to
an end. ... The
Wings edged the
Flames in the
face-off circle by a
slim margin, 53% to
47%. Craig Conroy,
the Flames best
draws-man all season
was only good for
33%. ... The Flames
out hit the Wings by
a count of 23-16.
|
Detroit 4 Calgary
Flames 2 
