NHL Update: Vancouver Canucks down Calgary Flames, 3-1
Roberto Luongo made 43 saves and took a shutout in the final period as Vancouver Canucks downed Calgary Flames, 3-1, at Rogers Arena on Wednesday.
Kevin Bieksa, Ryan Kesler and Daniel Sedin each scored a goal for Vancouver, which has won its seventh consecutive game. Canucks lead Western Conference with 57 points. Bieksa also had an assist.
Miikka Kiprusoff was dented for all three goals on 21 shots to take the loss while Tim Jackman scored the lone goal for Flames who have lost their second consecutive game on the heels of a four-game winning streak. Calgary sits second to last in the Western
Conference with 39 points.
Vancouver opened the scoring first and took a 1-0 lead at just 1:10 into the first period. Mason Raymond deked inside to get around Robyn Regehr in the corner and threw the puck from the left circle to the front, where Kesler used his stick to guide it in.
“We made two mistakes in 5 seconds on things we talked about going into the game,” Brent Sutter said. “And then someone is going to the net. We have to pick him up and we can’t let that happen. Mentally we had two breakdowns very quickly.”
After Luongo kept it 1-0 with a couple of good saves, Canucks made it a 2-0 game with 3:48 left in the first period. Bieksa carried the puck into Calgary zone, paused at the left faceoff circle and fired a wrist shot on the net that hit off a Calgary stick
and skipped under Kiprusoff.
“It’s a 3-on-4 and a shot from the top of the circle, a wrist shot, that can’t go in the net at that point in time,” Sutter said. “It’s a tough goal to have scored against you.”
In the middle of the second period, Canucks struck again for a 3-0 advantage with Sedin’s 22nd goal of the year. Bieksa took the puck in the high slot and fired it on the net with a one-timer. Kiprusoff had his glove lined up to catch it, but
Sedin deflected it nicely to get it into the net.
“We’re winning but we’re not playing very well so you can’t fool yourself,” Sedin said after scoring the 10,000th goal in the franchise’s 40-year history. “You’ve got to realize you can play better.”
The only Flames goal came with 11 seconds to play in the final period when Jackman was there alone and banged a rebound with wrist shot to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Luongo was trying for his third shutout of the season but Jackman’s goal in the last seconds spoiled Luongo's shutout bid.
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