Calgary, AB (SportsNetwork.com) – T.J. Brodie and Sam Bennett each tallied
their first career postseason goals to help the Calgary Flames in a 4-2 win
over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of this Western Conference quarterfinal
series.
Bennett’s marker early in the third added some insurance at the time and
proved to be the game-winner for the Flames, who played in their first
home playoff game since Game 6 against Chicago in the first round in 2009.
Jonas Hiller stopped 23 shots in the win that put Calgary up 2-1 with Game 4
set for Tuesday at the Saddledome. Brandon Bollig and Sean Monahan also scored
for the Flames.
Shawn Matthias and Jannik Hansen lit the lamp for Vancouver and Eddie Lack
made 23 saves in the loss.
The third game of this series was a little more subdued compared to Game 2,
but there still proved to be bad blood between these Canadian rivals.
Vancouver won that contest, but it was the 166 penalty minutes combined
between the two teams that captured headlines. Calgary coach Bob Hartley was
also fined $50,000 for his responsibility in the brawl that occurred with just
over a minute left.
On Sunday, Alexandre Burrows and Kris Russell were sent off late in the third
after a fight that started when Burrows checked Johnny Gaudreau from behind.
Burrows was also given a boarding penalty as well as an instigating minor for
the play. Vancouver’s Kevin Bieksa and Calgary’s Michael Ferland then dropped
the gloves with over a minute left as the Flames faithful were treated to more
fisticuffs late in the contest.
“I’m really anxious to get up and watch the news and read the papers
tomorrow,” Hartley admitted after what had transpired late in the game.
The Flames scored the game’s first goal with over 13 minutes left in the first
as Bollig picked up a loose puck off a shot from Mason Raymond and wristed it
in for a 1-0 lead.
The first period saw its share of hard hits in a bit of a carryover from Game
2, and a scrum in front led to the Canucks tying the game. Radim Vrbata put a
shot on net from in close as the visitors pushed their way into the Calgary
end, then Matthias was there to send the rebound past Hiller.
Vancouver could not get the puck out of its zone and Calgary maintained
pressure during the sequence. David Schlemko sent a pass over to Brodie, who
fired a slapshot through traffic and past Lack to put the Flames back in front
with 4:58 left in the first.
“We had great momentum in the first period and we just kept battling back,”
Hartley said. “It was a physical game, we kept our composure and scored some
timely goals.”
The Canucks had more trouble early in the second clearing the puck. Chris
Tanev backtracked past the Vancouver blue line and his passive clearance
attempt led to David Jones skating in on Lack, who picked up his defenseman
with a stunning glove save.
“We had the chance to get the puck out on a few of their goals and we didn’t,”
Lack said. “We need to battle harder on the boards.”
Calgary added to its lead 2:14 into the third when Bennett slipped a loose
puck into the net just in front of Lack. The Flames essentially sealed it late
in the period on the power play when Monahan fired in a one-timer off a pass
from Gaudreau.
Bo Horvat set up Hansen at 17:41 for a goal that accounted for the final
margin.
Game Notes
The Canucks have lost seven of their last eight playoff games on the road …
Vancouver has not led a postseason series since winning the first two of the
2011 Stanley Cup Final before losing to Boston in seven games … Brodie
recorded a secondary assist on Bollig’s goal … Calgary’s Joe Colborne
received a 10-minute game misconduct for his actions during the Bieksa/Ferland
brawl.
