Tag: Calgary Flames

photo from sfgate.com: Calgary Flames’ Mark Jankowski, top right, celebrates after scoring a goal against San Jose Sharks goalie Aaron Dell, bottom left, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, in San Jose, Calif

By Matthew Harrington

SAN JOSE–The Calgary Flames fourth line and power play were lethal Monday night at the SAP Center, with the Flames topping the host San Jose Sharks 6-2. Matthew Tkachuk scored a highlight reel goal, each member of Calgary’s fourth line scored and the Flames converted on three of six power play opportunities. Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns scored for San Jose. Aaron Dell made 31 saves, but the Sharks were outshot 37-36 in the loss.

Calgary had a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes thanks to Milan Lucic’s sixth goal on the man advantage and goals from fourth liners Tobias Rieder and Zac Rinaldo. Karlsson scored his 6th goal of the year with 7:13 left in the period to cut the lead and Brent Burns scored a power play goal on their lone opportunity 4:51 into the second. Calgary’s third bottom liner scored halfway through the second on a backhanded for a 4-2 Flames lead.

Matthew Tkachuk arguably took a dive early in the third period, then scored a goal that will surely be the talk of the league tomorrow morning. Much like his OT winner in Nashville earlier in the year or Tomas Hertl’s fourth goal against the Rangers years ago, Tkachuk pulled the puck between his legs and fired top shelf for a 5-2 lead. Mikael Backlund added a goal just six minutes away from the end of regulation for the 6-2 final.

The Sharks’ league-leading penalty kill was put to the test, sending a man to the box six times. Lucic, Tkachuk and Backlund all scored for a 50% PK conversion night for the Sharks. San Jose will have a while to think about this contest, they won’t play again until Friday against Winnipeg in the Great White North.

photo from canadianpress.com: San Jose Sharks goalie Aaron Dell, right, deflects a shot from Calgary Flames’ Elias Lindholm during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020 in Calgary, Alberta

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ San Jose goalie Aaron Dell, playing in his home backyard, calmed the Calgary Flames Tuesday.

He made 30 saves, facing 31 shots, his second straight game of doing at least that, as the Sharks halted a five-game losing streak on the road and two-game losing streak overall.

Several of the San Jose players had noteworthy bookmarks during the game, the biggest one saved for last.

40-year old Joe Thornton garnered two assists, his latter one marking his 1500th NHL point. He earned the secondary assist on the Sharks’ final goal.

San Jose was outshot 16-9 in the first and had two power plays as Dell continued to make steady saves. 

The Flames briefly had a 4-on-1 as time wound down during their first man advantage.

At 18:08, the Sharks’ Barclay Goodrow stuck up for Evander Kane against recognized fighter Milan Lucic when Kane was clocked. 

San Jose’s Alex True and Maxim Letunov made their NHL debuts. True had one shot on goal, four hits, one block, one giveaway and went 60% on faceoffs in 12:52 of ice time. Letunov had one shot on goal, one takeaway and went 50% on faceoffs in 10:17 of ice time.

Calgary’s second power play was obtained when Kane committed high-sticking with 46 seconds left.  It ended up costing the Sharks as Elias Lindholm and Johnny Gaudreau made zigzag passes to score 59 seconds into the second, Gaudreau credited with the goal.

It would be all San Jose the rest of the way. 

The puck bounced past in the neutral zone and Thornton scooped it up to go the other way. He then found Brent Burns, who scored his 500th point with the Sharks, from the top of the right faceoff circle at 3:57 to even the score at one apiece. 

San Jose pulled ahead using more Goodrow Kane chemistry as Kane shot at the left goalpost and the puck bounced to the boards. Patrick Marleau corralled the rubber and made a behind-the-back pass to Goodrow, who finished by feeding Kane under T.J. Brodie’s stick at 8:02. It was Evander Kane’s 700th NHL game.

Finally, Thornton and Timo Meier helpd Kevin Labanc provide the icing on the cake as he  skillfully skated himself into a position to score at 7:45 of the third.

The Flames had four shots in the final frame.

Up Next: The Sharks will travel to Alberta’s capital city to take on the Edmonton Oilers Thursday at 6:30pm.