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Langkow scores twice as Flames even quarterfinal series

Apr 20, 2007 - 6:30 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- Daymond Langkow and the power play ensured Calgary Flames fans of another chance to cheer on their team.

Langkow scored two goals with the man advantage, including the winner midway through the second period, as the Flames evened their best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series with the Detroit Red Wings at two games apiece with a 3-2 triumph.

Craig Conroy also tallied and Miikka Kiprusoff made 33 saves for Calgary, which travels to Detroit for a pivotal Game Five on Saturday.

"(Kiprusoff) was terrific again tonight, and he's a big part of the reason why we're back in the series," Flames left wing Alex Tanguay said. "The best way to shut them down is to stay out of the penalty box, and we better do that in Game Five. They're going to be ready and we have to make sure we're ready for that one."

"We know we're a good home team," Red Wings defenseman Andreas Lilja said. "We just have to get ready for the game."

After being soundly beaten in each of the first two games of the series at Joe Louis Arena, the Flames returned to the friendly confines of the Pengrowth Saddledome, where they posted a league-leading 30 victories during the regular season. Calgary staged a third-period rally to edge Detroit in Game Three on Tuesday and held on for another thrilling win in this one.

"Our 5-on-5 play could be a little better, but the intensity and emotion that wasn't there the first two games has been a lot better," Langkow said. "We hung (Kiprusoff) out to dry in the first two games. That's unacceptable - almost 100 shots in two games."

Langkow opened the scoring 8 1/2 minutes into the game with his first goal of the postseason, but Todd Bertuzzi answered for Detroit less than three minutes later. Craig Conroy restored the Flames' lead with 6 1/2 minutes remaining in the first period before the Red Wings again knotted the contest two minutes afterward on Johan Franzen's tally.

The game remained even until Detroit captain Nicklas Lidstrom joined teammate Robert Lang in the penalty box at 7:35 of the middle session. Less than a minute later, Tanguay made a pass from below the end line on the left side of the net to Langkow, who punched the puck past goaltender Dominik Hasek from the doorstep at 8:19 for a 3-2 advantage.

"The biggest thing is hard work," Langkow said. "We're getting those loose pucks and we've had more control of the puck."

"Getting 5-on-3s gives us momentum, and Daymond was able to put the puck in the back of the net," Tanguay said. "That's been the difference, and so has our penalty kill."

Lidstrom was unhappy with his team's lack of discipline.

"We put ourselves in a bad position by taking penalties, especially the 5-on-3s," he said. "They are good puck-movers, they identify openings. We have to find a way to stay out of the box, it's that simple."

The tally held up as Kiprusoff stopped the final 28 shots he faced, including 12 in the third period, to secure the win.

"Kipper the whole series has been amazing," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said. "But in the third period, especially, he's been amazing."

"Best player on our team tonight," Calgary coach Jim Playfair said of his goalie. "That's why our penalty kill has a chance, because your goaltender has to be your best penalty-killer."

Tanguay and Iginla each had two assists for the Flames, who successfully killed all six of their shorthanded situations.

"Tonight was the best team defense so far in this series," Kiprusoff said.

"I thought tonight we pressed," Detroit coach Mike Babcock said. "I didn't think our power play was bad at all in the first two games. I thought it was very poor in Game Three. Tonight, I thought we pressed, and what I mean by that is you're shooting the puck when you should be passing it and passing it when you should be shooting it."

With the sellout crowd of 19,289 raising the decibel level from the outset, Calgary carried over its momentum from Game Three. From the far side of the left faceoff circle, Tanguay passed to Langkow, who beat Hasek from alone in front at 8:29 of the first period for a power-play goal and 1-0 lead.

"Starts are really important," Playfair said. "We need everybody, can't have any passengers."

The tally came just one second after defenseman Mathieu Schneider's cross-checking penalty expired. But Detroit still had a player in the box thanks to an unsportsmanlike conduct call against Hasek, who received the penalty while trying to draw one against Iginla.

"He bumped into me and the ref didn't call it," Hasek said. "I pretended like I was going to slash him. I never did anything to him, but the referee said, 'That's enough,' and called two minutes (against me). I just lifted my stick up. I didn't do anything more."

"I'm surprised he got so upset," Iginla said of Hasek's reaction to being bumped. "I thought he came into me. I was getting ready for a deflection. I didn't think it was much contact at all. But from our point of view, obviously it was a good thing to get the power play. If he's not happy with us playing within the rules, that's a good thing, too."

The play brought back memories of the Red Wings' last regular-season visit to Calgary on March 20, when Hasek flopped to the ice in an attempt to draw an infraction on Iginla. Instead, Tanguay buried a rebound for the game-winning goal and Hasek drew criticism from Babcock.

This time, Babcock was more supportive of his netminder.

"He wasn't trying to send a message, he was just reacting," Babcock said. "Do I like what happened? No. Could he have handled it differently? For sure. Yet I think there should have been a call on the play (against Iginla)."

Just 2:38 after Langkow's first goal, Bertuzzi tallied to forge a 1-1 tie. Flames defenseman Brad Stuart misplayed the puck in the right corner, allowing Lang to gain possession and pass in front to Bertuzzi, who beat Kiprusoff for his first goal of the postseason.

"I thought that line (of Bertuzzi, Franzen and Lang) got us going," Lidstrom said. "It was great to see Bert get that goal."

Conroy put Calgary ahead with 6:27 remaining in the opening session, firing a slap shot from just above the left circle that deflected off Detroit defenseman Brett Lebda and past Hasek. But Franzen drew the Red Wings even 2:04 later, converting Bertuzzi's cross-slot pass from the inner edge of the left circle for his first tally of the series.