Curtis Glencross helps Calgary Flames defeat Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3
Curtis Glencross scored a goal and assisted twice, as the Calgary Flames held on for a narrow 4-3 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets, at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday night.
Rene Bourque and Olli Jokinen each netted a goal and had an assist for Calgary, who won for the third time in their last four games. Jarome Iginla also added a goal, while Miikka Kiprusoff made 37 saves to earn the victory for the Flames.
Flames Coach Brent Sutter praised his team after the game. He said, "Through this whole process, we've been getting contributions from everyone and different times different guys have stepped up. I thought our top guys really started playing well in St.
Louis. I was proud of everyone, just the gutsy effort that everyone had tonight."
Jan Hejda and Craig Rivet both found the net for Columbus, who have lost their last four play-offs. Antoine Vermette posted a goal and had an assist, while Steve Mason turned away 24 shots in the setback.
Rivet got Columbus on the board for a 1-0 lead just four minutes into the opening stanza, while Jokinen tied the game at 1-1 with his 14th goal of the season just eight minutes into the same period.
Iginla then put the Flames ahead by 2-1 just 44 seconds later with his 29th goal of the season. However, Vermette pulled the game even at 2-2 less than two minutes into the middle session.
Columbus was awarded two penalty shots in the game, but failed to score on both chances. This is the first time a team has not been able to convert two penalty shots in one game since the New York Rangers failed to score against the Detroit Red Wings on
16 February, 1986.
Blue Jackets Head Coach Scott Arneil praised Calgary net minder Kiprusoff after the game. He said, "We had more than our share of opportunities to equal that game tonight. Their guy was better, there's no doubt -- he made some gigantic stops."
Then Flames then restored their lead at 3-2 on a power-play goal nearly nine minutes into the middle period. The goal came when Bourque grabbed a rebound and fired a backhander home from a sharp angle at the right side. Less than two minutes later Glencross
gave the Flames a two-goal edge at 4-2 from another power play. Anton Babchuk ripped a shot from the left point to the front and Glencross deflected it past Mason.
The Blue Jackets got themselves to within a goal of Calgary at 4-3 just six and half minutes into the final frame. The goal came when Hejda blasted a slap shot from the left point into the right corner of the net. Vermette then got an opportunity to grab
an equaliser three minutes later, when he was awarded a penalty shot however, Kiprusoff stopped it to secure the win.
The Blue Jackets pulled Mason for an extra skater with just over a minute left in the game, but Kiprusoff turned away several shots - including one from Rick Nash and the follow-up - to preserve the victory.
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