Flames ride power-play to win over Canucks
tsn.ca Staff
12/10/2002
VANCOUVER (CP) - The Calgary Flames have yet to lose in three games under interim head coach Al MacNeil but don't ask Chris Clark to explain why.
``Maybe there's a new mindset because everything's the same,'' Clark said Monday night after tipping in Chris Drury's point shot for the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.
``Same system, same drills on the ice. I don't know what it was. Maybe it was just the timing. We'd like to think it could have happened before (MacNeil replaced the fired Greg Gilbert on Dec. 3).
``You look on paper, we have an unbelievable team,'' added Clark who broke a 1-1 tie early in the second period.
``For some reason we didn't get it going. We'd play well defensively one night and maybe not offensively and vice-versa. Now that we've got both things going, that's going to cause victories.''
The Flames still aren't scoring goals by the bushel after a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche and a 1-1 tie against the Minnesota Wild. To make matters worse, they were missing defending NHL scoring champion Jarome Iginla, who sat out with a groin injury.
However, they made the most of their opportunities Monday and got both goals on the power play.
Clark's scored after Vancouver defenceman Ed Jovanovski was called for high-sticking in front of the Calgary goal.
Mathias Johansson set the Canucks back on their heels after Marek Malik took a holding penalty behind the Vancouver net with only 19 seconds gone in the game.<
Vancouver netminder Peter Skudra, making a rare start, made difficult pad saves off Oleg Saprykin and Clark before Johansson put the second rebound behind him at 1:47.
Artem Chubarov scored for the Canucks, who lost for the third time in four outings despite controlling play most of the game.
The Canucks outshot the Flames 30-15 but Calgary goalie Roman Turek made several key saves, especially in the second period. The Flames collapsed to the middle when Vancouver got the puck in the Calgary zone and blocked numerous Canuck shots.
``They had a lot of shots tonight but they didn't have many openings like two-on-ones,'' said Turek. ``Most shots I saw all the way and I made easy saves.''
MacNeil, who coached the Flames for three years starting in 1979, said goaltending and defence were the difference.
``Roman Turek was really something tonight, our defence was good and our penalty killing was good,'' he said. ``These are things that are coming together. It's a grind game but we're winning the battles.''
Meanwhile the Canucks continue to struggle following their club-record 10-game winning streak. They also fell to 6-6-2-0 at home.
``It is very frustrating, given the fact we were worried about a letdown (in Saturday's loss) against Minnesota, just coming out and being flat but we weren't,'' Vancouver veteran Trevor Linden said of the home-ice difficulties.
``We were sharp and moved the puck well. We had lots of chances.
``Tonight it was under tough circumstances. We knew they were going to play fiesty and protect the middle of the ice. We managed to break through at times but just couldn't find it. It's frustrating not to perform well at home.''<
Jovanovski said the Canucks have to do a better job of getting traffic in front of opposition goalies.
``We put shots to the net but not in those areas where (goals) are dirty, ugly,'' he said. ``We could probably do a better job on that.''
Notes: Iginla is also bothered by a hip problem but had played all of the Flames' previous 27 games. ... Rugged defenceman Bob Boughner returned for Calgary after missing 11 games with a broken thumb.
Cheers,
Aquaman