Mikka Kiprusoff was strong in the Flames’ net last night making 17 saves, many of those quality scoring chances, but only to be out dueled by his counterpart at the other end as Ray Emery made 45 saves in sixty-five minutes of play and then three more in the shootout to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 win.
Emery was at his best when the Flames fired 24 shots at him in the third period. Although he allowed two goals, he put on a goaltending performance you don’t see very often.
The Flames left the ice shaking their heads, after the shootout, in disbelief that they did not get the two points. The only black mark in the game was that they allowed Marian Hossa to score with three seconds left when a sure two points was in their grasp.
So what next? A loss like this can sometimes eat away at you, especially when you are fighting tooth and nail for wins.
In six games the Flames have a record of 1-3-2 which leaves them last in the Western Conference. Five of those six games have been played on home ice, where the Flames were hoping to get off to a good start, which hasn’t happened.
The Flames now head out on a three-game road trip on Monday, playing Detroit on Tuesday, Columbus on Thursday, and Vancouver on Saturday. Even though the Flames lost last night’s game, they cannot dwell on the loss and must focus on the positives they gained in the Chicago game and carry that into Detroit on Tuesday.
Rogers on NHL: Last thing the Flames needed
