Sometimes you
actually get what you
pay for.
Jarome Iginla, $5.5M
U.S. - three goals, four
points and the game
winner.
Chris Drury, $2.5M
U.S. - second goal in as
many nights.
Roman Turek, $4.0M
U.S. - stellar first
period to keep his team
in the proceedings
making Iginla's late
game heroics possible.
Craig Conroy, $2.0M
U.S. - three assists,
all on Iginla's three
goals.
Actually the game
went remarkably like the
pre season game plan.
What a shame said game
plan has only been
walked out a handful of
times this year.
When the dust settled
on the training camp
blockbuster that had
Derek Morris, Dean
McAmmond and Jeff Shantz
swapped for Chris Drury
and Stephane Yelle, the
remade Flames appeared
to be a stronger club up
front.
The theory went that
with Chris Drury in town
to support the scoring
heroics of Jarome
Iginla, the Flames would
have a shot to put more
pucks in the net with
their new found balanced
scoring.
So much for best laid
plans.
Iginla went into an
injury induced scoring
funk, Drury lost his
hands and the club's
other clear star, Roman
Turek fought the puck
leaving the Flames
season all but over when
the calendar flipped to
December.
At least for one
night that planned magic
took center stage, and
in Edmonton no less.
The game featured a
scoreless opening period
mainly due to the
stellar goaltending of
Roman Turek. The Oilers
carried the play and had
a 12-5 shot margin after
20 minutes.
Turek was given the
start despite Jamie
McLennan's 1st star
performance the night
before, after sitting
down and being publicly
challenged by coach
Darryl Sutter.
The clubs swapped two
goals apiece in the
second period however
with Todd Marchant and
Alexei Semenov
sandwiches goals by
Chris Drury and Iginla.
The Oilers took a 3-2
lead on the games only
special team marker when
Mike York fired home his
20th of the season on a
powerplay just 2:47 in.
The goal seemed to
charge the Flames, who
despite playing their
second game in as many
nights, played their
best hockey of the
evening in the third
frame.
The Flames tied the
score with six minutes
left when Iginla tipped
home a Bob Boughner slap
shot.
Iginla then won it
with a back hander that
beet Jusi Markanen with
just over a minute to
play.
"Iggy said
'let's end this' after
we tied it", Craig
Conroy told CTV
Sportsnet after the
game.
"This is a big
win for us, at the
beginning of a long road
trip. We need more
nights like this."
The win snaps a four
game winless skid and
returns Darryl Sutter's
Calgary coaching record
to the .500 mark.
The loss moves the
Oilers from a
challenging spot for 4th
in the conference down
to 6th due to the Wild's
victory. The Oilers hold
a playoff spot by five points.
