GAME THREAD: NHL: MINNESOTA (9-7) at CALGARY (6-11)

NHL: MINNESOTA at CALGARY

<div class="pre">------------------------------------
Minnesota 0 0 2 --2
Calgary 1 0 2 --3
------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Calgary, Dion Phaneuf 4 (power play) (Alex
Tanguay, Kristian Huselius), 15:43. Penalties: M Skoula, Min (delay
of game), 4:03; K Carney, Min (hooking), 14:36; O Nolan, Cgy
(roughing), 16:07.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: M Foy, Min (tripping), 9:02; M Lombardi,
Cgy (hooking), 10:55; A Voros, Min (holding), 15:44.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Minnesota, Mikko Koivu 4 (Mark Parrish, Kim
Johnsson), 3:17. 3, Minnesota, Mikko Koivu 5 (power play) (Petteri
Nummelin, Kurtis Foster), 9:52. 4, Calgary, Jarome Iginla 11 (Craig
Conroy, Miikka Kiprusoff), 10:13. 5, Calgary, Kristian Huselius 8
(Daymond Langkow, Anders Eriksson), 19:07. Penalties: A Tanguay, Cgy
(holding stick), 3:42; A Tanguay, Cgy (high sticking), 8:21; C Sarich,
Cgy (delay of game), 11:03; M Koivu, Min (tripping), 19:34.

Shots on goal:
---------------------------------------
Minnesota 7 8 13 --28
Calgary 13 10 5 --28
---------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: Minnesota - 1 of 5, Calgary - 1 of 5. Goalies
: Minnesota, Niklas Backstrom (28 shots, 25 saves; record: 7-3-1).
Calgary, Miikka Kiprusoff (28 shots, 26 saves; record: 7-8-3). A:
19,289. Referees: Justin St. Pierre, Rob Martell. Linesmen: Mark
Wheeler, Shane Heyer.</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at CALGARY

<div class="pre">-----------------------------------------
MINNESOTA 0 0 2 --2
CALGARY 1 0 2 --3
-----------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Calgary, Dion Phaneuf 4 (power play) (Alex
Tanguay, Kristian Huselius), 15:43. Penalties: M Skoula, Min (delay
of game), 4:03; K Carney, Min (hooking), 14:36; O Nolan, Cgy
(roughing), 16:07.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: M Foy, Min (tripping), 9:02; M Lombardi,
Cgy (hooking), 10:55; A Voros, Min (holding), 15:44.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Minnesota, Mikko Koivu 4 (Mark Parrish, Kim
Johnsson), 3:17. 3, Minnesota, Mikko Koivu 5 (power play) (Petteri
Nummelin, Kurtis Foster), 9:52. 4, Calgary, Jarome Iginla 11 (Craig
Conroy, Miikka Kiprusoff), 10:13. 5, Calgary, Kristian Huselius 8
(Daymond Langkow, Anders Eriksson), 19:07. Penalties: A Tanguay, Cgy
(holding stick), 3:42; A Tanguay, Cgy (high sticking), 8:21; C Sarich,
Cgy (delay of game), 11:03; M Koivu, Min (tripping), 19:34.

Shots on goal:
----------------------------------------
MINNESOTA 7 8 13 --28
CALGARY 13 10 5 --28
----------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: MIN - 1 of 5, CGY - 1 of 5. Goalies :
Minnesota, Niklas Backstrom (28 shots, 25 saves; record: 7-3-1).
Calgary, Miikka Kiprusoff (28 shots, 26 saves; record: 7-8-3). A:
19,289. Referees: Justin St. Pierre, Rob Martell. Linesmen: Mark
Wheeler, Shane Heyer.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS

MINNESOTA CALGARY
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
B Rolston 0 0 even 5 O Nolan 0 0 even 2
D Moore 0 0 even 2 J Iginla 1 0 even 5
M Parrish 0 1 even 2 E Godard 0 0 even 1
D Boogaard 0 0 even 0 M Lombardi 0 0 even 0
E Belanger 0 0 -1 2 K Huselius 1 1 +1 1
K Foster 0 1 even 3 D Langkow 0 1 +1 2
K Carney 0 0 even 0 E Nystrom 0 0 even 1
P Nummelin 0 1 even 0 C Conroy 0 1 even 1
M Skoula 0 0 +1 1 D Moss 0 0 +1 3
A Voros 0 0 -1 0 M Nilson 0 0 even 4
K Johnsson 0 1 +1 1 Ro Regehr 0 0 +1 2
N Schultz 0 0 -2 1 D Phaneuf 1 0 even 3
J Sheppard 0 0 even 2 A Aucoin 0 0 -1 1
B Burns 0 0 -2 3 M Kiprusoff 0 1 -- 0
M Foy 0 0 -1 0 A Tanguay 0 1 even 0
M Koivu 2 0 even 2 R Warrener 0 0 even 0
B Radivojevic 0 0 even 1 C Sarich 0 0 +1 1
P Bouchard 0 0 even 3 S Yelle 0 0 even 0
M Gaborik GROIN A Eriksson 0 1 +1 1
S Veilleux CHEEK W Primeau ANKLE INJURY
M Smith HEALTHY
D Hale HEALTHY</div>

 

NHL: MINNESOTA at CALGARY

<div class="pre">-----------------------------------------
MINNESOTA 0 0 2 --2
CALGARY 1 0 2 --3
-----------------------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Calgary, Dion Phaneuf 4 (power play) (Alex
Tanguay, Kristian Huselius), 15:43. Penalties: M Skoula, Min (delay
of game), 4:03; K Carney, Min (hooking), 14:36; O Nolan, Cgy
(roughing), 16:07.

SECOND PERIOD -- Scoring: None. Penalties: M Foy, Min (tripping), 9:02; M Lombardi,
Cgy (hooking), 10:55; A Voros, Min (holding), 15:44.

THIRD PERIOD -- Scoring: 2, Minnesota, Mikko Koivu 4 (Mark Parrish, Kim
Johnsson), 3:17. 3, Minnesota, Mikko Koivu 5 (power play) (Petteri
Nummelin, Kurtis Foster), 9:52. 4, Calgary, Jarome Iginla 11 (Craig
Conroy, Miikka Kiprusoff), 10:13. 5, Calgary, Kristian Huselius 8
(Daymond Langkow, Anders Eriksson), 19:07. Penalties: A Tanguay, Cgy
(holding stick), 3:42; A Tanguay, Cgy (high sticking), 8:21; C Sarich,
Cgy (delay of game), 11:03; M Koivu, Min (tripping), 19:34.

Shots on goal:
----------------------------------------
MINNESOTA 7 8 13 --28
CALGARY 13 10 5 --28
----------------------------------------

Power-play Conversions: MIN - 1 of 5, CGY - 1 of 5. Goalies :
Minnesota, Niklas Backstrom (28 shots, 25 saves; record: 7-3-1).
Calgary, Miikka Kiprusoff (28 shots, 26 saves; record: 7-8-3). A:
19,289. Referees: Justin St. Pierre, Rob Martell. Linesmen: Mark
Wheeler, Shane Heyer.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER STATISTICS

MINNESOTA CALGARY
G A +/- Shots G A +/- Shots
B Rolston 0 0 even 5 O Nolan 0 0 even 2
D Moore 0 0 even 2 J Iginla 1 0 even 5
M Parrish 0 1 even 2 E Godard 0 0 even 1
D Boogaard 0 0 even 0 M Lombardi 0 0 even 0
E Belanger 0 0 -1 2 K Huselius 1 1 +1 1
K Foster 0 1 even 3 D Langkow 0 1 +1 2
K Carney 0 0 even 0 E Nystrom 0 0 even 1
P Nummelin 0 1 even 0 C Conroy 0 1 even 1
M Skoula 0 0 +1 1 D Moss 0 0 +1 3
A Voros 0 0 -1 0 M Nilson 0 0 even 4
K Johnsson 0 1 +1 1 Ro Regehr 0 0 +1 2
N Schultz 0 0 -2 1 D Phaneuf 1 0 even 3
J Sheppard 0 0 even 2 A Aucoin 0 0 -1 1
B Burns 0 0 -2 3 M Kiprusoff 0 1 -- 0
M Foy 0 0 -1 0 A Tanguay 0 1 even 0
M Koivu 2 0 even 2 R Warrener 0 0 even 0
B Radivojevic 0 0 even 1 C Sarich 0 0 +1 1
P Bouchard 0 0 even 3 S Yelle 0 0 even 0
M Gaborik GROIN A Eriksson 0 1 +1 1
S Veilleux CHEEK W Primeau ANKLE INJURY
M Smith HEALTHY
D Hale HEALTHY</div>

 

CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- Kristian Huselius helped theCalgary Flames end a miserable stretch.


Huselius scored the game-winning goal with 53 seconds remainingin the third period as the Flames snapped a five-game slide witha 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

Captain Jarome Iginla and defenseman Dion Phaneuf also talliedfor Calgary, which improved to 9-1-1 in its last 11 homemeetings with Minnesota.


Huselius, who also had an assist, took an outlet pass fromDaymond Langkow and beat goaltender Niklas Backstrom low to theglove side. It was Huselius' eighth goal of the season.

"I saw (David) Moss going to the net," Huselius said. "I think(Backstrom) thought I was going to pass because it looked likehe cheated a little to the middle."


The Flames took a 1-0 lead into the final session, but a pair ofgoals by Mikko Koivu put the Wild on top midway through theperiod.


An excellent hustle play by Mark Parrish helped Koivu tie thegame at 3:17 of the third. Parrish won a race to the puck withPhaneuf along the right wing boards and sent a centering feed toKoivu.


Koivu appeared to fan on the shot, but he slid into the puck andknocked it past netminder Miikka Kiprusoff to knot the contestat 1-1. The play was not reviewed.


Koivu completed his third career two-goal game midway throughthe period, deflecting defenseman Petteri Nummelin's wrist shotfrom the right faceoff circle past Kiprusoff during a power playat 9:52 to give the Wild a 2-1 edge.


It took Calgary just 21 seconds to respond. Iginla skated intothe offensive zone and blasted a slap shot that went offdefenseman Brent Burns' stick and past Backstrom.


"We got a lucky bounce to go our way to get back into the game,"Iginla said. "It was a huge boost. We weren't happy with atie and we were trying to push it right to the end. It surefeels good to get things going."


Koivu was unable to explain the Wild's fortunes lately inCalgary.


"I don't put much into superstitions or curses," Koivu said."Things happen, it's just something you've got to work through."

Wild coach Jacques Lemaire wonders what it will take to reversethe recent trend.


"You're wondering what you have to do to get a win here,"Lemaire said. "The guys played well, they played hard. Thoughtwe had them, but they always somehow come out on top."

Phaneuf's power-play tally - his fourth of the season - with4:17 remaining in the first period gave the Flames a 1-0 lead.

Kiprusoff, who has started each of the Flames' 18 games thisseason, made 25 saves.


"(Kiprusoff) played pretty well," said Koivu, who now has fivegoals on the season. "He looked like the same old Kiprusoffwe're used to seeing."


Backstrom stopped 25 shots for Minnesota, which has droppedseven of its last nine contests.