NHL Update: Calgary Flames 3-2 defeat Colorado Avalanche for third straight win
Fourth-line wingers, Tim Jackman and Tom Kostopoulos, played leading roles in Calgary Flames' 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche at Saddledome on Friday night. It was Flames third consecutive win.
Jackman and Kostopoulos, playing on a line with centre David Moss, both had a goal and an assist in 7:30 duration of second period.
Flames’ Coach Brent Sutter was happy with the line’s play.
“They played extremely well again,” said Sutter. “They have just carried on the way they have been playing and that was just two huge goals for us tonight. I was very pleased with their play. It’s an energy line that works and competes hard and does it to
the details. They play the way we want them to play and they were rewarded for it.”
Jarome Iginla added a goal for Calgary in the second period while Miikka Kiprusoff brushed aside 19-of-21 shots in his team's victory.
Kostopoulos opened the scoring for Flames just under six minutes into the second period. At the right circle, Mark Giordano gave a laser pass to Tim Jackman. His shot was blocked, but Kostopoulos was there to collect the rebound and tipped the puck into
the back of the net.
“We feel like we’ve been playing hard and with a little bit of chemistry for a few games now,” said Kostopoulos. “We seem to have a few bounces go in for us so it’s nice that way. Moss and Jackman work hard every night so it’s a lot of fun playing with them.”
After 42 seconds, Iginla increased Flames’ lead to 2-0 when he took a drop pass from Alex Tanguay on a 3-on-2 break and fired the shot past Craig Anderson.
Jackman then gave Flames a three-goal edge, taking a breakaway pass from Anton Babchuk and putting the shot under Anderson with 6:37 left in the period.
“I haven’t had too many breakaways, so it’s nice,” said Jackman. “I was going to shoot it and then the guy hooked me and I just stayed there and slammed it home. That’s about it.”
At 7:45 of the third period, Daniel Winnik scored the first short-handed goal for Avalanche. He backhanded a shot and swept the puck between Kiprusoff’s legs to finish the goalie’s shutout bid.
With 2:32 remaining in the third period, Avalanche made it 3-2 when Matt Duchene wired a shot to the net, but it defected off the players’ crowd. Tomas Fleischmann then picked it up and backhanded past Kiprusoff.
“It wasn’t good enough,” said Fleischmann. “It’s tough to play catch-up after 3-0. We tried. We had chances a little bit, but it was nothing close I would say.”
Still, Flames maintained their lead by fighting off an empty net 6-on-5 advantage in the last 90 seconds.
Anderson stopped 20 shots for Colorado in the loss.
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