Miikka Kiprusoff outlasts Pekka Rinne in goaltending dual between Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators
Sixty minutes of scoreless hockey solved nothing as Rene Bourque got the winner in overtime to lift the Calgary Flames over the Nashville Predators 1-0 on Tuesday October 19.
How it happened
Miikka Kiprusoff was solid in goal for the Flames as the Predators, even with five power play chances in the game (compared to just two for Calgary), could not solve the Finnish goalie.
If Kipper was impressive stopping all 34 shots he faced, his Finnish counterpart, Pekka Rinne, in goal for the Predators was almost equally so, stopping 32 shots in regulation, and 34 of 35 shots which
he faced on the night.
Bourque's overtime winner came at 2:10 of the overtime period when a poorly angled shot by Brendan Morrison was pushed into the slot by Rinne right onto the stick of Bourque who fired the rebound home.
For Bourque it was his first of the season, and came upon his return after missing two games because of a concussion.
What they're saying
Bourque described the goal that led to the Flames win by saying, "It was kind of a broken play. I think (Morrison) just tried to get it on net. It bounced in the air, hit my shoulder, went down to the
ice, and I don't think the goalie knew where it was. It got to my stick, and that is when I shot it in the net."
"As the game went along, he got better and better," Calgary coach Brent Sutter said of Bourque's performance. "I thought in the last 12 minutes of the third period he really started playing that big-man's
game where he had the puck a lot on his stick in the offensive zone, and obviously got a big goal for us in overtime."
Bourque wasn't the only one making his return from injury as Predators goalie Rinne also saw his first action since leaving with an injury in the third period of Nashville's season opener.
"I've been practicing pretty well the last few days, and I only missed three games, so it was not a huge break," Rinne said. "I was a little more nervous than usual, but it was still a good game for me."
What it all means
The Nashville Predators lost defenceman Ryan Suter early in the first with an injury. Suter didn't return, but the team has indicated that the injury isn't serious. The Predators host the Pittsburgh Penguins
on Thursday 21 October.
The Flames now improve to 3-2 with the win, and for Kiprusoff it was his first shutout of the season and 35th of his career. The Flames travel to Detroit to take on the Red Wings on Thursday.
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