Calgary Flames burns Nashville Predators on Predators’ home ice with a brilliant comeback to win 3-2
What a start to the post All-Star Game season by Calgary Flames, defeating Nashville Predators at its home by 3-2 at the Bridgestone Arena, in front of a 14,360 crowd of Nashville fans.
Flames appeared well rested while Predators looked a little rusted coming into the game. Winning 3-2 and scoring 2 goals in the third period is astonishing when you’re tracking behind 2-0 going into the second period.
Things didn’t look good for Calgary at the end of the second period, but Flames brought its game up in the third, grabbing an opportunity in overtime.
Overtime was full of clashes!
Both, Miikka Kiprusoff and his counterpart, Nashville’s Pikka Rinne, were unbeatable in the first 40 minutes and continued that form in overtime.
Flames and Predators found no luck in overtime, thus heading into a shootout, something fans love to see and rarely have the chance to.
When the tensions mount at this point as seen in the match, there’s no telling what’s going to happen in the shootout.
The first 2 periods seemed as Pikka Rinne had become immortal!
Making 24 saves, Rinne seemed like he became immune to the shots taken by Flames. One could hear roars in the crowd and it seemed as if the Nashville crowd was taunting Calgary Flames.
But that all ended in the third period.
Kiprusoff handled his position extremely well throughout the game, letting in the first goal at the start of the first period by Martin Erat even though it could have easily been avoided but that didn’t take Miikka’s concentration off the game as he made
25 saves, more than what Calgary needed.
Matt Stajan’s slap shot seemed to be on fire when it entered the net through a narrow gap between Rinne’s arm and body and the crowd became silent all of a sudden, jaws resting on the floor.
Things seemed bad again for Calgary when Patrick Horngvist scored on a power-play, taking the lead back up by one.
A little over 4 minutes later Corey Sarich stepped up and tied it all up with an assist from Tanguay and Morrison.
Both teams locked down and didn’t open until the shootout.
Rene Bourque scored for Flames in the shootout, giving them their fifth consecutive win and much needed points to advance in the Western Conference.
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