Vancouver Canucks handle the Calgary Flames with ease
Vancouver danced all over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night in the sold-out Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Colombia, where the Flames lost for the second time straight 4-2, previously by the Anaheim Ducks in their own hometown. This has been a major
setback for the Flames, throwing them out of their playoff spot which they retained for not more than a week, back below the border line to the 10th position just below the Los Angeles Kings. Both teams are Canada’s only hope at bringing the Stanley
Cup home this year, as the rest of the bunch can’t seem to find their game.
“They’re the top team in the league and capitalized on their chances, but it was an even game, going back and forth,” said Flames Mark Giordano.
It was definitely good for the Canucks as they had also lost to the Ducks in their previous game, only being the third time in regulation during the past two months, even though they are missing half of their best defenseman their still on top with an unbeatable
offence.
Mikael Samuelsson and Alex Burrows lead the way
Calgary fans sure hoped after the game that Samuelsson and Burrows would have been out of the roster at the beginning of the game, both scored the total 4 goals crushing the Flames defence. Vancouver had captured the first period with making it his 16th
goal of the season at about half with a power play at hand making it a player ratio 2-3.
The next 20 minutes looked up for Calgary, as Tim Jackman and Curtis Glencross both shot it through opposite goalie Roberto Luongo who made 24 saves that night, 5 less then counterpart Miikka Kiprusoff.
It was 2-1 for Calgary with 45 minutes remaining in total game play, but Mikael Samuelsson became a guardian angel all of a sudden for Vancouver, scoring 2 goals within two minutes of each other, which lifted them 3-2 over the dying down Flames. It was because
of Daniel Sedin who threw himself in front of Kiprusoff that Samuelsson was able to get the second in during a power play.
"We didn't think it was over going into the third," Roberto Luongo said.
Calgary felt the heat in the final minutes of the third period; not being able to tie it, a team with a good record playing in overtimes and shootouts wished that it would happen. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Alex Burrows got an open net goal with only 42 seconds
remaining on the clock, sealing the deal for the Canucks and another loss for the Flames.
“I thought we really played darn well the last two periods and created the opportunities,” Calgary coach Brent Sutter said.
But it’s not a panic situation for the Flames yet as there are still 24 games remaining and a lot of time to come up which is something they have proved being able to do.
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