ESPN Fantasy Baseball / Yahoo Fantasy Baseball
CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames are one step closer to making their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2009.
Sean Monahan scored the game-winner midway through the third period and Jonas Hiller made 22 saves in a 3-2 victory against the Arizona Coyotes at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.
Johnny Gaudreau and David Jones also scored for the Flames (44-29-7), who have two games remaining -- each against a team they're battling with in the playoff chase. Calgary will host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday before concluding their regular-season schedule Saturday at the Winnipeg Jets.
The victory assured the Flames of remaining ahead of the Kings in the race for third place in the Pacific Division. The Kings played at the Edmonton Oilers later Tuesday.
The Jets, who defeated the St. Louis Blues 1-0 on Tuesday, hold the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.
B.J. Crombeen and Craig Cunningham scored for Arizona (24-48-8), which will conclude a four-game road trip Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks before wrapping up their season at home Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks. The Coyotes are 29th in the overall NHL standings.
The Flames were unable to hold a pair of one-goal leads before Monahan carried the puck into the Coyotes' zone, pulled up to allow defenseman Andrew Campbell to slide by, then stepped into the slot and fired a shot that beat Mike Smith between the legs at 9:26 to break a 2-2 tie.
Monahan's game-winner came after Jones and Cunningham scored earlier in the period.
Jones broke a 1-1 tie at 1:13, keeping the play alive in Arizona's zone before grabbing the rebound of Michael Ferland's shot and beating Smith over the glove.
Cunningham tied the game at 7:44. Flames goaltender Jonas Hiller ventured out of his crease to play the puck, but instead turned it over to Kyle Chipchura, who fed Cunningham for a virtual empty-netter.
The Flames wasted little time jumping on Arizona, outshooting the Coyotes 18-7 in the first period and jumping out to a 1-0 lead on Gaudreau's goal.
With Martin Erat in the penalty box for interference, Dennis Wideman's one-timer was blocked by Michael Stone, but the puck shot over to Gaudreau, who dropped to one knee to one-time his opportunity past Smith at 8:49.
Gaudreau's goal, his 23rd, is the most in a season by a Flames rookie since Paul Ranheim scored 26 and Sergei Makarov had 24 in 1989-90.
Crombeen got the Coyotes even late in the second period. With Calgary defenseman Kris Russell down just outside the crease after blocking a shot, Crombeen swatted the rebound of Cunningham's initial shot over Hiller to tie the game at 17:09.
It cost Calgary more than just a goal. Forward Lance Bouma left the game late in the period after blocking a shot and did not return to the game. Shane Doan also left the game for the Coyotes and did not return.
CBS Sports Fantasy Baseball / RotoWire Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit
Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99
Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonth.html
Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://members.shaw.ca/almosthuman99/babeofthemonthman.html
0 comments:
Post a Comment