Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Flames roll past Sharks to lead West series 2-0
Enquirer news services
SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Calgary Flames are leaving the speedy San Jose Sharks in their dust. Marcus Nilson, Shean Donovan and Ville Nieminen each had a goal and an assist, and the Flames took control of the Western Conference finals with a 4-1 win over the Sharks in Game 2 Tuesday.
Nilson matched the fastest goal in Calgary's postseason history, scoring 20 seconds after the opening faceoff. Nieminen and captain Jarome Iginla clinched the win with third-period goals 44 seconds apart, sending the sixth-seeded Flames back home with an improbable 2-0 series lead over the Pacific Division champions.
Game 3 is Thursday at the Saddledome, where the Flames are just 3-3 in the playoffs. But thanks to a 7-2 road record that includes three straight wins, they're halfway to their first Stanley Cup finals since 1989, when they won the franchise's only championship.
Miikka Kiprusoff followed his 49-save performance in the opener with just 17 saves. With a fast start, puck possession and relentless forechecking - three of San Jose's hallmarks - Calgary shocked the sold-out Shark Tank into silence.
Alyn McCauley scored for the Sharks, who lost consecutive games for just the second time since early March. After starting the playoffs with seven wins in eight games, San Jose has lost four of its last five.
| Calgary | 2 | 0 | 2-4 | | San Jose | 0 | 1 | 0-1 |
First Period-1, Calgary, Nilson 2 (Donovan, Montador), :20. 2, Calgary, Donovan 4 (Nieminen, Nilson), 10:35. Penalties-Clark, Cal (hooking), 11:41; Damphousse, SJ (high-sticking), 11:59; Saprykin, Cal (ob.-hooking), 15:12; Damphousse, SJ (tripping), 15:12.
Second Period-3, San Jose, McCauley 1 (Ekman, Davison), 5:26. Penalties-Simon, Cal (cross-checking), 2:40; Dimitrakos, SJ (elbowing), 6:50; Simon, Cal (roughing), 14:53.
Third Period-4, Calgary, Nieminen 3, 12:35. 5, Calgary, Iginla 7 (Gelinas, Regehr), 13:19. Penalties-Damphousse, SJ, double minor (high-sticking, roughing), 17:01; Kobasew, Cal (slashing), 17:01.
Shots-Cal 8-6-6-20. SJ 4-8-6-18. Power plays-Cal 0 of 3; SJ 0 of 3. Goalies-Cal, Kiprusoff 10-5 (18 shots-17 saves). SJ, Nabokov 8-5 (20-16). A-17,496 (17,496). T-2:19.
Stanley Cup playoffs
CONFERENCE FINALS
(Best-of-7 series)
May 8
Tampa Bay 3, Philadelphia 1
Sunday
Calgary 4, San Jose 3, OT
Monday
Philadelphia 6, Tampa Bay 2,
series tied 1-1
Tuesday
Calgary 4, San Jose 1,
Flames lead series 2-0
Thursday
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.
San Jose at Calgary, 10 p.m.
Saturday
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, 3 p.m.
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Matthews now ready to help the ball club
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AAA: Louisville 12, Charlotte 1
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Kurt Warner visits Giants
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NHL
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Flames roll past Sharks to lead West series 2-0
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