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Sharks spoil Nolan's night

Oct 23, 2007 - 5:45 AM By Mike Blanchard PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- There were times over the past few years when Owen Nolan could have walked away from the game. You couldn't blame him if on Monday he wondered why he didn't.

Playing in his 1,000th NHL game, Nolan watched his former team, the San Jose Sharks, dominate his current team, the Calgary Flames, with a 4-1 rout at Pengrowth Saddledome.

Before the game the Flames honored Nolan for his achievement. Signed as a free agent this past summer, Nolan is the 220th NHL player and the third player to play his 1,000th game as a Calgary Flame, joining Craig Berube and Martin Gelinas.

But, while Nolan had his moment before the puck dropped, the Sharks had theirs when it counted.

The Sharks took advantage of a late Calgary penalty in the first period to take the early lead. Ryane Clowe banged home a rebound off a Jeremy Roenick shot with 96 seconds remaining in the opening period.

Roenick finished the night with two assists and remains two goals shy of 500 for his career.

"It's coming, especially playing with that line," said Roenick. "We got a lot of chances to score again tonight."

Flames forward Eric Godard appeared to open the scoring with just under four minutes remaining in the first period. The goal was disallowed after replays showed Godard redirected the puck with this left arm.

Milan Michalek gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead with a shorthanded marker in the second period. Michalek grabbed his own rebound after a backhand shot that Calgary goaltender Miika Kiprusoff stopped.

The Sharks chased Kiprusoff from the net with a power-play goal late in the second period. Steve Bernier deflected Craig Rivet's point shot to give the Sharks a 3-0 lead with just under four minutes left in the second session.

Flames coach Mike Keenan wasn't blaming his goaltender.

"Pulling Mikka had nothing to do with Mikka's play whatsoever," Keenan said. "It was solely intended to try and jump start them.

"I was trying to get the team some kind of jump start, some kind of energy to get them to refocus on what their task was tonight. They didn't respond to it at all."

Michalek scored his second goal of the game 5 1/2 minutes into the third period.

"The first one was just good luck, the rebound came to my stick," Michalek said. "The second one, J.R. (Roenick) made a pretty good pass to me."

Calgary avoided becoming Evgeni Nabokov's second consecutive shutout victim when Daymond Langkow scored his eighth goal of the season with 2:33 to play.

Flames captain Jarome Iginla thought the late goal was too little, too late.

"We all know it's not good enough," Iginla said. "We'll let this one stink for a bit and then get ready for the next game."