Avalache snuff Flames

“We gave up those two goals there in the second when we started to get things going. That second goal was a terrible goal to give up and then we took a penalty right after.” – coach Brent Sutter

In their first home contest after a lengthy cross-country road trip, the Flames played with grit and guile but a two-minute mental lapse in the closing minutes of the second period proved to be the difference in their first loss in regulation time this month.

On this evening, Miikka’s magic and the captain’s continuing contribution wasn’t enough to stop the Avalanche from dousing the Flames as Colorado escaped the Stampede City with a slender 3-2 victory.

Kiprusoff was solid again between the pipes and Jarome Iginla hit the score sheet for the eighth time this month and recorded a team-leading seven shots-on-goal, but it wasn’t enough to as the Avalanche halted their month-long slide with a key inter-division victory.

Moments after Rene Bourque’s second shorthanded goal of the season gave the club a 2-1 advantage late in the middle frame, the fresh-faced Avalanche capitalized on the Flames’ momentary loss of momentum to slip a pair of pucks past Kiprusoff in a 42-second span.

Ryan Wilson recorded his first NHL goal and first multi-point game of his brief career to propel the Av’s to the win. Milan Hejduk was credited with the winning tally after his cross-crease feed deflected off Jay Bouwmeester’s sizable skate and dribbled past a helpless Kiprusoff.

Calgary attacked in droves throughout the final period, outshooting the Avalanche 11-4 in the final 20 minutes but Craig Anderson was solid between the pipes making several key stops as the Flames pressed for the equalizing tally.

Despite out-muscling (hits were 19-4 in favor of the Flames), out-hustling (Calgary chased down a plethora of loose pucks) and out-shooting (36-12) the Avalanche, when the final whistle blew and the Zamboni did its last pirouette around the ice, the scoreboard told the only story coach Brent Sutter was interested in reading.

Colorado came into this game with a burr in their bonnet and a thorn in their side. Embarrassed 8-2 by Vancouver on Saturday and with only two wins in their last seven games, the Avalanche had watched their once healthy lead atop the Northwest Division dwindle to a single point.

Colorado played a simple, efficient and patient game on Tuesday, blocking 24 shots, pressuring the Calgary forwards to the outside and effectively jamming the slot.

Once again, the Flames were ineffective in the face-off circle, losing 63 % of the draws in the contest, including an unacceptable 3-13 in their own zone. When you’re starting the majority of the plays chasing the puck instead of passing it, it’s difficult to gain, much less maintain momentum. And the club has to get more pucks to the net. Despite registering 36 ticks on the shot clock, the Flames had almost that many clang off the opposition’s skates, sticks and shin guards.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Flames. The Blackhawks – practitioners of the much-lamented Miracle on Madison on October 12 – arrive at the Saddledome on Thursday. It’s expected that two of the team’s key cogs – Toews and Kane – will have put the pen to a pair of freshly minted contract extensions by then.

Flame Flicks:

Staffan Kronwell, who has been perched on the pine since Detroit delivered their Halloween humbling, was re-assigned to Abbotsford on Tuesday to get some much needed ice time. Aaron Johnson remains as the reserve rearguard.

Dion Phaneuf was a (-2) on the evening, the first time he has found himself on the negative edge of the plus/minus ledge since a 2-1 loss to Columbus on October 13.

Colorado blueliner Ryan Wilson was originally signed by the Flames as a free agent in July of 2008 after recording back-to-back 70-point seasons with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting. He was traded to Colorado along with Lawrence Nycholat for Jordan Leopold on March 4, 2009.

Adam Foote, the veteran Colorado blueliner who was already drafted by Quebec before Avalanche rookies Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly were even born, suffered a jaw injury in the first period and didn’t return. He missed the majority of the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons with head injuries and played less than six minutes on Tuesday evening.