Final
Flames slip by fading Red Wings
Apr 18, 2013 - 5:13 AM Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Steve Begin scored twice in the third period to snap a tie and send Calgary to a 3-2 win over Detroit at the Saddledome.Lee Stempniak added a first-period marker to back 36 saves from Miikka Kiprusoff for the Flames, who have won four of their last six.
"In this league when you get the goaltending that we got tonight, you're always improving your chances to win," said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. "From the first shot we knew that Miikka was on his game."
Gustav Nyquist and Johan Franzen tallied for the Red Wings, who slid to their fourth loss in five. Jimmy Howard allowed three goals on just 17 shots in defeat.
With a regulation loss and Columbus' overtime win at Anaheim, the Red Wings fell into ninth place in the Western Conference, two points back of the Blue Jackets, with five games remaining.
Calgary took a 2-1 edge at 2:28 of the third on a fluke play.
Howard controlled a dump-in to the left of his net, but failed to clear the puck from underneath his skates. Begin followed the play, and his poke at Howard's feet as the goaltender moved back into his crease managed to jar the puck loose so that it slid backwards over the goal line.
The hosts led 3-1 with 7:07 to go when Begin stole the puck from Howard behind the net and flipped it into the empty cage while shorthanded, but the Wings closed to within a goal on a backhander from Franzen which rolled on edge and slipped through Kiprusoff's pads with 2:42 left.
Howard was pulled for an extra skater, and a hooking penalty to Flames forward Curtis Glencross gave the visitors a 6-on-4 advantage. Kiprusoff came up with one big glove save down the stretch to preserve the one-goal margin.
"I'm really glad about the way that we bounced back from our second period," Hartley added. "It was a much better effort in the third and we might have een lucky on those two goals, but that's the way this game goes sometimes."
Stempniak picked up the lone score of the first, at 13:28, then Nyquist evened the score with 7 1/2 minutes left in the second period.
Game Notes
Calgary swept the three-game season series and has won five of the last seven meetings with Detroit ... The Red Wings haven't missed the playoffs since 1990 ... Begin's multi-goal effort was his first since Nov. 21, 2007, for Montreal against the New York Islanders.
- DETROIT: 2
CALGARY: 3
Final
Apr 18 12:10 AM - Detroit Goal - Johan Franzen (10), from Kyle Quincey at 17:18.
Red Wings 2, Flames 3 3rd - 2:42Apr 18 12:02 AM - DETROIT: 1
CALGARY: 1
End of 2nd
Apr 17 11:14 PM - Detroit Goal - Gustav Nyquist (3), from Joakim Andersson at 12:31.
Red Wings 1, Flames 1 2nd - 7:29Apr 17 11:00 PM - DETROIT: 0
CALGARY: 1
End of 1st
Apr 17 10:18 PM - DETROIT: 0
CALGARY: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Apr 17 9:46 PM
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