Sunday, November 06, 2005

A bit of the Old NHL in the New NHL Saturday

Vancouver took to the ice in Calgary on Saturday night and it was like a trip back a few years in time. A low scoring game, lots of physical action and more than few dust ups that kept the crowd entertained through the night. Marcus Nilson scored the only goal of the game, leading the Flames to a 1-0 victory over Vancouver.

It was only a couple of days ago that Gary Bettman read off his list of achievements for the NHL this year, one of which was a reduction in the number of fights. It would appear that the fax machines in Calgary and Vancouver weren't working that day. Saturday saw a steady stream of travelers to the penalty box, four separate fights broke out in the first and second periods as the always intense rivalry between the two clubs flared up again. When they weren't fighting there was an increase in the stick work and unsportsmanlike penalties making for a rough and tumble match at the Saddledome.

The crowd went home happy as Kiprusoff collected his second shut out of the season and third victory in a row, as the Flames begin to shake off that early season lethargy. The two teams renew acquaintances on Monday night as the Canucks play again at the Saddledome, more physical play is expected and probably the odd fight as well. If Flame fans have their way, the game will end with another Flame win and an early season lead on the Canucks/Flames season totals.

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