Sharks Can’t Put Out Flames, Lose 4-1
Feb 8, 2012; San Jose, CA, USA; Calgary Flames right wing Jarome Iginla (12) skates with the puck past San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic (44) during the third period at HP Pavilion. Calgary defeated San Jose 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Jason O. Watson-USA TODAY Sports
The San Jose Sharks (11-7-4) fell to the Calgary Flames (9-8-4) by the final score of 4-1 on another night where they struggled to generate many goals.
Making his way back into the lineup for the Flames was goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff who had been on IR for a while. This was his first game back since the 5th of February and looked like he had not missed a beat with quite a few great saves the quell a Sharks comeback.
In the first period San Jose came out of the gate better than expected, but still dug themselves a bit of a hole when at about five minutes into the game the Flames struck first. Roman Cervenka put home his third of the season when he fired a rebound passed a sprawling Thomas Greiss who made the initial save off of Jay Bouwmeester. He and captain Jerome Iginla were credited with the assists.
The Sharks started off the second period much better than they did the first by hitting four shots (half their whole first period total) just four minutes into the period, but then were held shotless for quite a while after that when Calgary gained some momentum back.
Finally, after 10 minutes without a shot on goal San Jose tied the game on a goal by Joe Thornton, his fifth of the season. The goal, scored with 6:07 left in the period, was created by a great forecheck from both Marleau and Joe Pavelski who ended up getting the lone assist on the goal. Through two periods San Jose was being outshot 20-16.
Just three minutes into the third period Blake Comeau fired what looked like a harmless shot at the net and beat Greiss. The puck seemed to deflect off of Irwin’s stick and that was enough to change the direction of the puck and beat the San Jose netminder. The goal was Comeau’s first of the season.
The goal seemed to give Calgary some life as they scored again about a minute and a half apart when Jerome Iginla fired a shot by Greiss from the slot off of an errand pass by Clowe. Rather than making a safe pass up the boards Clowe forced a pass to Douglas Murray who was covered and once he received the puck had nowhere to go with it.
San Jose earned a power play at about nine minutes left in the period afte a string of good shifts to change momentum but were unable to capitalize.
On one last ditch effort the Sharks got another power play with about three minutes left they pulled their goaltender and ended up conceeding an empty net short-handed goal to Curtis Glencross for his eighth goal of the season. The game ended there with a final score of 4-1.
The Sharks now head home for one game to face the St. Louis Blues this coming Saturday for a 1pm matinee game. This will be the second of three meetings between the teams this season.
My 3 Stars
1. Miikka Kiprusoff (31 saves)
2. Jerome Iginla (1 goal, 1 assist)
3. Blake Comeau (game winning goal)