4/19/07: Red Wings @ Flames: West Conf. Qtrs. Game 4

**Shinma** · 04-18-2007, 05:04 PM

Wings look to blow out the Flames flicker of hope.

Presents the following thread:

2 ~ 1

Your Detroit Red Wings
@
The Calgary Flames

Western Conference Quarter-Finals
Game 4

Location:Pengrowth Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Date: April 19th, 2007
Time: 9:30 PM EST

This game is a presentation of:

Television Broadcast Provided by:

DirecTV channel 608

CBC TV

Goaltending Matchup:

Det. - Dominik Hasek (2-1-0) 1.68 GAA, .921 Sv. %

Cal. - Miikka Kiprusoff (1-2-0) 3.00 GAA, .929 Sv. %

Recap of Game 3:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=270417003

CALGARY, Alberta -- Jarome Iginla wasn't much of a factor in the Calgary Flames' first two playoff games, managing just two shots in two losses. He made up for his slump in Game 3. The Flames captain scored the go-ahead goal at 9:21 of the third period, leading Calgary to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. "I was due wasn't I?" Iginla said. "I definitely felt I was due."

Matthew Lombardi and defenseman Mark Giordano scored power-play goals for the Flames, who avoided falling behind 3-0 in the Western Conference quarterfinal series. Game 4 will be Thursday night at Calgary, with Detroit leading 2-1.

The Flames had a league-leading 30 wins at home during the regular season. "Part of it is confidence," Iginla said. "We're at home and we believe when we play our game, we can beat people."

Kris Draper scored twice for Detroit, and Daniel Cleary assisted on both goals.

"We didn't want to shoot the puck tonight," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "We wanted to overpass and when you do that against a team that's working hard defensively, they end up coming back the other way a lot."

After getting badly outplayed in the opening two games of the series in Detroit, the Flames regained some confidence with the victory and maintained their reputation of being tough to beat in their own arena.

The fire alarm at the Saddledome went off five minutes into the third period, but no one in the sold-out building was about to leave -- not with the score tied at 2.

Iginla hit the post during a power play with about six minutes left in the first period, but redeemed himself with the winner in the third. He streaked down the wing, got a step on Detroit captain Niklas Lidstrom and fired a shot over Dominik Hasek's shoulder. "I thought we were a lot more resilient all the way around," Iginla said. "This was by far our biggest game of the year." Miikka Kiprusoff got far better support from his defense than he did in the first two games at the Joe Louis Arena, where he faced 97 shots. He stopped 28 shots for the win, while Hasek made 25 saves.

Red Wings forward Todd Bertuzzi appeared in first playoff game since May 8, 2003, with the Vancouver Canucks. He was suspended before the 2004 postseason because of his vicious hit on Colorado's Steve Moore. The big forward, who sat out the three previous games with a concussion, had regular work on Detroit's power play and Detroit's fourth line. He was booed whenever he touched the puck.

Giordano scored in his NHL playoff debut, connecting during a power play at 4:43 of the second period to tie it at 2. His shot from above the faceoff circle beat a screened Hasek stickside. "It was exciting and it gave us some momentum," Giordano said. "It's a pretty big game and it was a pretty big goal, so it's probably up there at the top of my career so far."

Draper's second of the game 39 seconds into the period was due to some hard work by Cleary. Cleary sent Dion Phaneuf flying into the corner and lost his helmet in the process, but recovered the puck behind the goal line and sent it out to Draper in front of the net to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead. "Cleary has been maybe our best player so far this series," Babcock said. "That line was really hard to play against, they were physical, and they got the puck to the net."

Calgary led for the first time in the series on Lombardi's power-play goal at 9:20 of the second period, but Draper evened it up just over two minutes later.

Game notes
Flames defenseman Robyn Regehr (knee) was a scratch. Coach Jim Playfair hopes to have him in the lineup Thursday. Giordano took Regehr's place in the lineup. ... Flames defenseman Rhett Warrener was cut in the mouth when he was struck in the face by the puck on Henrik Zetterberg's shot in the first period. Warrener returned to the ice midway through the second period. ... A pane of glass behind Kiprusoff was dislodged with 10 seconds left in the second period, so the time was added to the third period.

Detroit is 20-8 .714 all-time when up 2-1 in the series.
Calgary is 2-7 .222 all-time when down 2-1 in the series.

**jackson_cannery** · 04-18-2007, 05:07 PM

No team that plays in a Pengrowth Saddledome deserves to beat the Red Wings.

**Shinma** · 04-18-2007, 05:07 PM

Lets hope VS doesnt use CBCs feed again.

Ugh.

**JohnJMS** · 04-18-2007, 06:03 PM

This is why you need to win the first two home games. All we need is a split against a team that plays really well at home, and then we can come home and finish them. The Wings are in fine shape right now. All the pressure is still on Calgary to win the next game, because they know they're finished if they don't.

**wingedwheel** · 04-18-2007, 06:44 PM

**HolyToledo** · 04-19-2007, 02:09 PM

Wow, I never thought Calgary was so big. That skyline surprised me.

**jadefalcon** · 04-19-2007, 02:37 PM

Man, we reallt need this game. I don't want Calgary to have any confidence going into game 5.

MUST WIN!
MUST WIN!
MUST WIN!
MUST WIN!
MUST WIN!

**Porcelain God** · 04-19-2007, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by HolyToledo

Wow, I never thought Calgary was so big. That skyline surprised me.

That is exactly what I was thinking.

**CapitalTigers** · 04-19-2007, 02:53 PM

Rumor has it:
Wings: Calder is out in favor of Hudler. Bertuzzi In.

**Shinma** · 04-19-2007, 03:00 PM

Why would Calder be out? He was playing really well. Maybe an injury?

**CapitalTigers** · 04-19-2007, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by Shinma

Why would Calder be out? He was playing really well. Maybe an injury?

Because Babcock is upset with his second line. Lang, Calder, Sammuelson have 1 point all series and that came from Lang on an assist.

**Shinma** · 04-19-2007, 03:21 PM

Phaneuf gets destroyed by Cleary.. heh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgeDlYSxLmQ

You can barely see when he staggers and falls down after the Wings goal. This lead was an opportunity that the Wings should have locked down... Anyway, I think they will play a lot better tonight.

**lesgoblu02** · 04-19-2007, 03:22 PM

I'd sit Sammy before I sit Calder.

Then again, I would have let Bertuzzi sit until they lost a game too.

**Shinma** · 04-19-2007, 03:22 PM

Originally Posted by CapitalTigers

Because Babcock is upset with his second line. Lang, Calder, Sammuelson have 1 point all series and that came from Lang on an assist.

I can definately see that. I wince everytime I see Lang in the face-off circle.

**jadefalcon** · 04-19-2007, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by lesgoblu02

I'd sit Sammy before I sit Calder.

Then again, I would have let Bertuzzi sit until they lost a game too.

I agree, Sammy's been terrible, and he's a terrible passer. Calder has provided much more energy than Sammy.

**Johnny Mac** · 04-19-2007, 03:38 PM

wings 3 flames 1

**Shinma** · 04-19-2007, 03:45 PM

Robyn Regehr is a scratch for tonight.

McCauley and Watson (who?) are the refs for tonight.

**CapitalTigers** · 04-19-2007, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Shinma

I can definately see that. I wince everytime I see Lang in the face-off circle.

Lang is by far the laziest hockey player with his type of talent that I've seen in a long time. For being 6'3" he's scared of contact, he's nonchalant in his own zone, just been miserable this series. I expect better from him tonight, or I say bench him as a message.

**MAROTH4MVP** · 04-19-2007, 05:20 PM

Go wings. Big game.

**lesgoblu02** · 04-19-2007, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by HolyToledo

Wow, I never thought Calgary was so big. That skyline surprised me.

What you don't see is immediately outside the scope of that picture is absolutely nothing.

**Shinma** · 04-19-2007, 06:11 PM

Man. Still 3 hours to go.

**tigerfever13** · 04-19-2007, 06:40 PM

This Calgary Flame team the best team in the league when theyre playing at home. They have 30 wins this season at home, tops in the NHL. I think the Wings have a great shot tonight @ winning, the loss hopefully lit a small fire that might have been lost after 2 quick starts in games 1 + 2

**Johnny Mac** · 04-19-2007, 06:42 PM

i just played the game on nhl 07

wings went down 3-1 but scored 2 in the third(one with 20 seconds left) and won the game in ot 4-3

datsyuk scored ot goal, lang, homer and hudler scored goals in regulation

**Johnny Mac** · 04-19-2007, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Shinma

Man. Still 3 hours to go.

i cant wait, im just playing nhl 07 on my 360 until game starts

**MAROTH4MVP** · 04-19-2007, 06:49 PM

Flames look to draw even at home
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Associated Press
Posted: 20 hours ago

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - A few bumps and bruises forced the Flames to get creative with their defensemen in Game 3 against Detroit - and it worked out just fine for Calgary.

The Flames are prepared to do whatever it takes again in Game 4 on Thursday night to get a second consecutive victory against the top-seeded Red Wings and even up their best-of-seven series.

The Flames tapped into their depth and moved defensemen from one side of the ice to the other in their 3-2 victory in Game 3. Still, Calgary's defensive performance was better than it had been in either of the first two games of the series in Detroit.

"I think our defense are capable of playing left side and right side, which is an important factor when you get down to five because that's what's going to happen," Flames coach Jim Playfair said.

"And more importantly, it's playoff hockey, so suck it up."

Here's the rundown of Calgary's aches and pains:

- Robyn Regehr was out with a knee injury and remains questionable for Thursday.

- Rhett Warrener took a puck in the face late in the first period of Game 3

- Dion Phaneuf needed stitches after a hard hit by Detroit's Dan Cleary early in the third.

Both Warrener and Phaneuf returned to the game and will play Thursday.

Giordano, Regehr's replacement, scored in his NHL debut to tie the game while Phaneuf was getting his face stitched. Andrei Zyuzin also saw his ice time increase with a depleted defensive corps.

Defensemen had unfamiliar partners and switched from right to left side, yet the Flames managed to cut the number of shots on goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff dramatically from the 97 he faced in the opening two games of the series.

With Regehr's status up in the air, Giordano may find himself playing an important role again.

"Every guy, if you're in the lineup or out of the lineup, it's a long playoff and there's going to be opportunities, so everyone has got to be ready," Flames winger Craig Conroy said.

When Calgary reached the Stanley Cup final in 2004, the Flames' also had to draw on their depth on defense because of injuries.

"I think 2004 taught us you need eight or nine guys who can step in and play," Playfair said. "A guy like Mark Giordano coming in is what we expect. We expect to have injuries and we expect him to come in and be good."

While Calgary's defense tightened up against Detroit on Tuesday, Playfair wants to further limit shots against.

"I think 30 is too many so we're preparing today to cut that back down," he said.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock looks for a stronger start in the game and better performances from the Wings' special teams, which were held scoreless on four power-play chances and gave up two power-play goals.

"I didn't think our team was very good early," Babcock said. "We had three power-plays before we even got playing and we did nothing with them.

"Our power play has to be better and it's going to have to get us results. We lost the special teams battle 2-0 yesterday."

The Flames may be the toughest team in the NHL to beat in their own building, but the Red Wings still have the upperhand in this series.

"We're still in a desperate situation," Calgary winger Alex Tanguay said. "We can't afford to go down 3-1 with Detroit playing Game 5 and Game 7 in their building."

It looked like the series would be over quickly after the first two games. Babcock wants Calgary's newfound confidence to be short-lived.

"You never want to give the other team momentum," he said. "They were able to seize their first game at home and now they're trying to hold serve.

"It's up to us tomorrow to be better, so we can leave here with a split."

http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/6700500