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Calgary Flames 5 Vancouver Canucks 2

Flames Best Canucks

Rick Charlton

September 20, 2001

If the Flames are to realize their dream of ending a five year post-season drought, the drive to the playoffs will have to start from the stick of Olympic hopeful Jarome Iginla.

With three goals in two games early in this exhibition season, including two in a 5-2 victory tonight over the visiting Vancouver Canucks, Iginla is signalling early he is willing to carry the torch.

In a dominating performance where they outshot the Canucks 32-17, Calgary received other goals from new acquisition Dean McAmmond and 19 year-old hopeful Chuck Kobasew, who now has three himself early this pre-season.

Iginla opened scoring at 9:01 of the first on a two-man advantage, with Dean McAmmond and Marc Savard adding helpers.

Ed Jovanoski, who turned in a sterling performance on the Vancouver

Calgarypuck Three Stars

1. Iginla � will he get 40 this year? Two goals and one assist

2. Jovanoski � Lived up to his billing as one of the better defencemen in the league

3.  McAmmond � A goal and an assist is everything the Flames could hope for.

 blueline, pinched into the slot at 13:30 of the first and beat Calgary starter Roman Turek to the short side after the Flames had been pinned deep into their own zone with good board work on the power play by Daniel Sedin and Todd Bertuzzi.

The Flames outshot the Canucks 7-3 in the first.

The Canucks managed to take a 2-1 lead early in the second period with former Kamloops Blazer Mike Brown taking advantage of miscues on the Calgary defence to rifle a shot by Turek at 51 seconds.

Iginla evened the count at 2-2 with a slapper from the right wing to the far corner that simply overpowered Vancouver starter Mark Fitzpatrick at 4:56.

Kobasew, defying high odds to stick with the Flames, played another impressive game, putting the Flames in the lead again with a baseball swing at 12:33. Micki Dupont had put the puck towards the Vancouver net where it bounced off Dave Lowry, leaving Kobasew alone at the side of the net to bat a rebound out of the air.

Calgary put 15 shots on the Vancouver net in the second, with the Canucks managing only four at Turek and his relief, Levente Szuper.

McAmmond, who started the game at centre between Lowry and Kobasew, put the game away at 4:55 of the third on the power play on a nifty passing play with Iginla and Savard.

Hit of the Game

How about Ryan Christie trying to make an impression with coach Greg Gilbert by drilling Donald Brashear then taking on Jovanoski within seconds of each other, incurring the wrath of both in the second period..

Chris Clark, making a strong bid to keep his place on the opening night roster, put away a Derek Morris one-timer at 15:27, burying the Canucks once and for all on the power play. Clark then beat on Drake Berehowski in the waning minutes.

Flames defenceman Toni Lydman also had a strong game, picking up an assist and continuing his marked improvement on the defensive side of the puck.

Flames outshot the Canucks 28-15. Calgary was 3-8 on the powerplay and Vancouver was 1-5.

Attendance was 13,617. Calgary plays at Minnesota on Sunday. The Flames have a 2-1 record.

USA Today Boxscore