Winning in the NHL is
hard work.
Winning a hockey game
on the road on the
second night of back to
back games is a step up
from that.
Winning games in the
home rink of the hottest
team in the league when
you, yourself sit near
the bottom of said
league's standings?
Just next to
impossible.
A potential blow out?
A laugher? Mail in the
points?
That's why they play
the games, as the plucky
Calgary Flames put up a
solid road effort
despite dropping a 4-1
contest to the red hot
Dallas Stars on
Wednesday night.
Once again the
opposition made the most
of their chances, while
the Flames missed on all
but one of their own.
Once again the team
at the other end of the
ice received better
goaltending than the
Calgary squad.
Once again the
opposition's star
players were their best
players while the
Calgary core struggled
along.
The loss marks the
second in two nights for
the Flames, an outcome
that continues to cement
the club to last place
in the Western
Conference standings,
and keep them within
earshot of last overall,
and the first overall
pick for the first time
in franchise history.
Hey, you have to hope
for something!
The two teams played
a back and forth first
period with neither team
managing to score on
either of the two former
Eddy Belfour backups,
Marty Turco or Roman
Turek.
The Stars got on the
board first with a Jiri
Lehtinen goal just past
the two minute mark of
the second period.
Lehtinen's goal, his
20th of the season came
when the Finish winger
fired home a slap shot
from just outside the
face off circle.
The Flames carried
the play for the
majority of the second
period, taking the
lion's share of close in
opportunities but were
continually turned aside
by league statistical
leader Marty Turco.
Instead it was the
Stars that were rewarded
near the end of the
period when Sergei Zubov
converted a one timed
powerplay point shot
past a Roman Turek to
make the score 2-0
Dallas.
The Stars received
two third period goals
from Stephane Robidas
and another from
Lehtinen to sandwich a
Calgary counter from
Scott Nichol to round
out the scoring.
The Flames now enter
the all star break with
a 17-25-7-3 record good
for 44 points and sole
position of last in the
West. They sit 28th
overall but have played
three more games than
30th place Buffalo, who
have 40 points.
