San Jose Sharks goaltender Antti Niemi shuts out Calgary Flames in 1-0 win - NHL Update
It was a game where the goaltenders reigned supreme and in a gruelling contest, Antti Niemi came out the stronger of the two, as San Jose Sharks held on for a close 1-0 victory over Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012.
Sharks were always favourites for the win in this game even though they entered the game on the back of a three game losing streak.
The Sharks just about out-shot the Flames, 27-25, as both teams went out no-holds barred for victory, but in the end San Jose’s better skills came to the fore, as Antti Niemi got his third straight shutout of the season, saving 25 shots in the game.
"That was a huge win for me personally," said the goaltender. "You want to go into the break feeling pretty good, and now I can."
Sharks are now third in the Western Conference, with a 27-14-6 record and 60 points, trailing the top spot holders, Detroit Red Wings by seven points.
Calgary Flames saw their two game winning run snapped even though they played well throughout the game, but were unlucky to meet Antti Niemi at his best.
Flames, after the defeat remain three points adrift of Minnesota Wild for the final playoff spot, with a 23-21-6 record and 52 points.
The game remained scoreless in the first two periods.
Flames outshot the Sharks in the first period by 8-5 but Niemi was not looking in the mood to get beaten and made some big saves to keep out the opponents from his goal.
At the other end, Miikka Kiprusoff was not to be outdone and even though he faced a torrid second period, the goaltender was up to the task and held off the Sharks' 11 shots at his goal.
Calgary Flames managed just three shots in the second period and Niemi was not too happy with the situation.
The goaltender after the game said:
"That's always the case with goalies; you don't like getting too little shots. You want to face some shots to stay focused and stay warm."
He would face a lot many in the third period.
Flames ratcheted up the pressure, outshooting the Sharks by 14-11 and Niemi made some brilliant saves to keep the scores level.
Then the Sharks scored.
At 11:35, Benn Ferriero found himself in front of goal after Logan Couture’s shot bounced off Kiprusoff.
The forward gloved the puck to the ground and released a powerful snap shot towards the goal, finally beating Kiprusoff and putting the Sharks firmly in the driving seat.
Flames responded by throwing caution to the wind and even brought up Kiprusoff into attack but there was no beating Niemi and the Sharks held on for a much needed win, heading into the All-Star Weekend.
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