NHL Recap: Minnesota Wild hold off Calgary Flames, 3-1
Center-man Mikko Koivu had a goal and two assists for the Minnesota Wild who held off the Calgary Flames, 3-1, in the opener of a home-and-home series from Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday night.
Right wingers Antti Miettinen and Chuck Kobasew lit the lamp for the Minnesota and snapped a 2-game skid. Goaltender Nicklas Backstrom made 28 saves (1 in the 3rd period).
Calgary’s centerman Matt Stajan had the only goal for the Flames, who ended a three-game home stand with a 2-1-0 record. Miikka Kiprusoff made 13 saves of 16 shots.
The Northwest Division rivals will be gunning together again in Minnesota on Monday night.
Following a scoreless first period, Minnesota got an opportunity to take control with two goals in the second period when Niklas Hagman was imposed a penalty for a chop on defenseman Marek Zidlicky.
At the 15:25 mark, Miettinen got the Wild going with a power-play goal. Koivu sent a cross-ice pass to Miettinen, who one-timed a shot past goalie Miikka Kiprusoff.
The goal came after an uneventful first half of the play that included a ten minute stretch of listless play in which the teams combined for one shot.
The Wild increased its lead to 2-0 with 53 seconds left in the middle period. Defenseman Brent Burns sent a low shot towards the front of the net and Koivu deflected the puck past Kiprusoff.
It was the first time since 19th of October that the Minnesota scored more than one goal in the second period.
At 19:07, Andrew Brunette set off the play with a clever pass to Burns and earned the second assist.
Chuck Kobasew had a goal at the 7:41 mark of the third period to make it a 3-0 game.
Calgary finally got on the board at 14:43 of the third period. A shot from the point set up a rebound in front for Stajan, who chipped the puck past Backstrom. It was Stajan’s second goal in 45 games, dating to last season.
Minnesota’s goalie Backstrom had allowed 28 goals in his earlier 6 starts, and now he looked sharp. His greatest stop was the gloves-save off Alex Tanguay early in the second period on a sharp-angled one-timer.
Flames’ captain Jarome Iginla could not make a point, ending his streak at 9 games. He had five goals and seven assists throughout the run, which was the 2nd longest active streak behind a 20-game gush by Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby.
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