Flames Shut Out Champs

Rick Charlton

November 10th, 2001

If you wanted to know the difference between the Vancouver Canucks and the resurgent Calgary Flames this year you had only to watch Roman Turek last night.

In a game where the Flames probably should have been blown out several times over, Turek stood on his head in blocking 36 shots for his third shutout of the year in a 2-0 win over the struggling Colorado Avalanche.

And his sidekick on the highlight reel this year, the NHL's leading scorer Jarome Iginla, stamped the victory with a spectacular late goal, his 14th of the year, late in the third period.

But it was Turek, supplying goaltending the floundering Canucks can only dream about this year, who loomed large throughout this affair in pushing the Flames to an incredible 12-2-1-2 record on the year, good for 27 points and second overall in the NHL. Calgary trails first place Detroit Red Wings, overtime losers in LA on the night, by only two points.

If the playoffs were to start today, the defending Stanley Cup champs, the Avalanche, would be on the outside looking in.

Iginla has an 11 game point streak and continues to lead the NHL scoring race with 14 goals, 14 assists for 28 points. His third period marker, making the game 2-0, saw him spin off Colorado's Rob Blake and fire a bullet over Patrick Roy's right shoulder while on one knee.

Calgary has points in every home game they've played this year, now 8-0-0-2 at the Saddledome and unbeaten in six and winners of four straight. That must be finally catching the notice of fans that have deserted them as the game attracted an appreciative sellout of 17,409

But this was no ordinary victory, at least not by the standard the Flames have supplied for much of this remarkable year.

Particularly dangerous were the numerous screens and deflections Turek had to deal with as Calgary defencemen were unable to handle the buzzing Colorado forwards.

The Avs have been reduced to a shadow of the team that won the Stanley Cup last spring with the retirement of Ray Bourque and the quasi-retirement of Peter Forsberg. Then their roster was further riddled just prior to game time when Dan Hinote and Alex Tanguay were surprise scratches.

In spite of those complications the Avs clearly showed up to play, taking it to the Flames right from the opening drop of the puck.

The Flames were tested early when forced to play two men short for 44 seconds midway through the first but managed to hold the fort for the sixth time on dual penalties this season.

Turek handled all 10 shots the Avs directed his way in the first and another 12 in the second followed by seven in the third.

The one that did get by him midway through the second was eventually waved off and may have been the turning point in the game.

Turek made a save on a Sakic deflection then a point blank re-direct by Steve Reinprecht before the latter tossed the puck into the net with his glove. Allegedly. The Denver broadcasters were saying the puck actually went off Reinprecht's head with his hand making a waving motion.

Whatever happened, the Flames had dodged a big bullet in a very close game.

Scott Nichol came close for the Flames on a two on one when he drew in on Roy and pinged a wrist shot off the cross bar.

Denis Gauthier finally broke the ice at 15:10 of the second when Clarke Wilm won a faceoff cleanly back to the Flames defencemen, who then lofted a laser into the top right hand corner behind a startled Colorado starter Patrick Roy. The Avs goaltender was obviously screened and barely twitching as the puck whistled over his shoulder.

Gauthier must love the top right corner as the goal was a duplicate of his game-winning goal in LA only a few nights ago.

Colorado has now been shut out in four of their last eight games, an astonishing run considering their roster. The victory was also a measure of revenge for Turek after he was blown out by the Avs in the third round of the playoffs last year, a humiliation that many observors believe hastened his departure out of St. Louis.

The game was a hard-hitting affair with referees Mike Leggo and Brad Meier letting the two teams hammer away at each other without the usual parade to the penalty box. The Avs were 0-4 on the power play and Calgary was 0-2.

Flames directed 24 shots at Roy.