Flames hang on to edge Avalanche
The official game recap Calgary Flames vs Colorado Avalanche.The Calgary Flames took another step forward Monday in their bid to earn an entry into the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2009.
Lance Bouma scored the game-winner midway through the third period, and the Flames held on for a 3-2 win against the Colorado Avalanche at Scotiabank Saddledome.
David Jones and Jiri Hudler also scored for the Flames (40-27-6), who are two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings for third in the Pacific Division. The Kings, who defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-1, hold one game in hand. Calgary's remaining nine regular-season games are against Western Conference opponents, including five against teams that are within eight points of the Flames.
Flames goalie Karri Ramo made 25 saves.
Alex Tanguay and Gabriel Landeskog scored for the Avalanche (33-27-12), who are eight points back of the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card into the playoffs from the West. Colorado has 10 games remaining, including a back-to-back set against the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks starting Wednesday to conclude its five-game road trip.
Hudler broke a 1-1 tie with 16 seconds remaining in the first period and extended his career high in goals to 27. Sean Monahan won a faceoff back to Dennis Wideman, whose shot deflected off the skate of Hudler and behind Varlamov.
That score held up in the second thanks in part to two Avalanche shot attempts that hit the goal post.
TJ Brodie couldn't swat down a clearing attempt, springing Jarome Iginla on a 2-on-1, but John Mitchell hit the outside of the far post near the midway mark of the period. A shift later, Tyson Barrie also struck the post.
Varlamov kept Colorado within one at 5:55 of the third period, making a blocker save off Brandon Bollig in the slot, but at 8:40, Bouma knocked down Brodie's high shot from the point between Varlamov's legs to put the Flames up 3-1.
The Avalanche pulled back to within one at 10:46. Controlling the play in the Flames end, Ryan O'Reilly misfired on a one-timer but corralled the puck in time to feed Landeskog, who placed a sharp-angled shot over Ramo's shoulder.
Colorado was unable to tie the game after Varlamov went to the bench in favor of the extra attacker with 1:48 remaining.
The Flames opened the scoring for the third straight game.
After Ramo made a diving save with his paddle on a wraparound attempt from Landeskog, Bouma hauled the puck up ice on a 2-on-1 and fed Jones, who beat Varlamov over the glove at 6:18.
An odd-man rush helped create the equalizer for Colorado. After Landeskog failed to convert on his pass, O'Reilly fished the puck off the end boards before it pinballed into the slot to Tanguay, who caught Ramo out of position at 17:46. It's the seventh time Tanguay's reached 20 goals in his career; he did so twice with the Flames.
-- by Aaron Vickers for NHL.com --
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24/03/2015 - 05:00
