Calgary celebrated the retirement of Miikka Kiprusoff’s No. 34 in model on Saturday evening with a stirring comeback victory.
Yegor Sharangovich scored two targets, together with the game-winner with 50 seconds left within the third interval, because the Flames overcame a two-goal deficit with 10 minutes to go for an exhilarating 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“All people’s actually blissful for Kipper and his household and it’s actually cool to see how a lot help he obtained tonight and the way a lot he meant to the town and to honour him with a win is particular,” mentioned Blake Coleman, who scored the tying objective.
Down 3-1 halfway by way of the third and being outshot by a substantial margin, Calgary immediately wakened, tying it on targets 32 seconds aside.
At 10:09 in a highlight-reel particular person effort, Nazem Kadri picked up the puck inside his personal blue line, slipped the puck by way of the skates of Noel Acciari as he carried the puck up ice, then he made a slick transfer to dangle previous Kris Letang earlier than pulling the puck all the best way throughout the crease and burying it behind Tristan Jarry to make it 3-2.
“It’s a SportsCentre top-10 objective and it’s one thing that electrified the constructing and the gang, it was good tonight to start with, clearly, with the large evening for Kipper, and that objective simply blew the roof off,” mentioned Coleman, whose team-leading twenty fifth objective got here simply 32 seconds later.
On the go-ahead objective, Mikael Backlund stripped the puck from Letang alongside the sideboards and as he took the puck to the center, he dropped it to Sharangovich, who picked the highest nook for his twenty third objective.
“ (Sharangovich) was pressuring the one D and I hoped he was going to provide it to the opposite D and I simply jumped him,” mentioned Backlund. “I didn’t know who I truly handed it to, I simply noticed two purple guys behind me and I dropped it and a really good end.”
Regardless of buying and selling away key veterans on expiring contracts resembling Elias Lindholm and most lately, Chris Tanev, Calgary (30-25-5) has received a season-high 5 consecutive video games to climb inside 5 factors of the Los Angeles Kings, who occupy the Western Convention’s second wild-card playoff berth.
“We’ve bought a bunch of fellows in right here that refuse to go down (with out) swinging and that’s an excellent mentality to have,” mentioned Kadri. “All people understands we’re nonetheless within the hunt. We’re giving ourselves each alternative potential. Even when there’s a sliver of hope, we’ll take that and we’ll run with it.”
Whereas the trades by common supervisor Craig Conroy is a sign that the group is constructing for the long run, the gamers stay targeted on the current.
“We’re not right here to pack it in and look to the long run. We’ve bought guys which have received in right here, we’ve bought guys that need to win in right here, and there’s by no means going to be any give up in our group,” mentioned Coleman. “So long as we bought a breath in us, we’re gonna have that struggle.”
Jonathan Gruden, together with his first NHL objective, Lars Eller and Jeff Carter scored for Pittsburgh (27-23-8).
With Tampa Bay victorious earlier within the night, the Penguins fall 10 factors again of the Lightning, who presently maintain the second wild-card spot within the Japanese Convention.
“We beat ourselves. In a variety of alternative ways,” mentioned Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan. “We had full management of the sport. Performed a extremely good recreation up till that time and we simply made some egregious errors and it’s laborious to recuperate from.”
The Penguins have 5 video games in hand, considered one of which they’ll use Sunday when they’re again in motion towards the Edmonton Oilers.
“We’ve no alternative, we have now to maintain preventing,” mentioned left-winger Drew O’Connor. “It’s a tricky solution to finish that recreation. We all know how necessary every recreation is, and we’d like numerous them proper now. To lose that one once we’re in management hurts so much, however we have now one other one tomorrow we have now to prepare for.”
Flames’ netminder Jacob Markstrom had 27 stops to enhance to 21-15-2.
On the different finish, Jarry had 16 stops. He falls to 17-19-4.
NUMBER 34 RETIRED
Earlier than the sport, longtime Flames goaltending nice Miikka Kiprusoff had his No. 34 retired — the fourth quantity raised to the rafters alongside Lanny McDonald’s No. 9, Jarome Iginla’s No. 12, and Mike Vernon’s No. 30. In his 9 seasons with Calgary beginning in 2003-04 — when he was acquired by then-coach and common supervisor, Darryl Sutter in a commerce with San Jose — Kipper led the underdog Flames to the Stanley Cup last as soon as. He recorded a team-record 305 wins and 41 shutouts. He received the Vezina in 2005-06.
The stirring 50-minute ceremony that included a number of standing ovations from the boisterous red-clad crowd, featured a vibrant speech from longtime teammate Jamie McLennan, a video montage of profession highlights, and Kiprusoff’s emotional deal with wherein he thanked the followers and the group, he additionally seemed over and singled out Sutter, one of many invited company seated close to the rostrum, saying, “I can’t thanks sufficient.”
NEW D PAIRINGS
With out Tanev, Calgary reconfigured its defence pairings with Oliver Kylington promoted into the top-four the place he performed alongside Rasmus Andersson. Tanev’s previous D companion, Noah Hanifin, partnered with MacKenzie Weegar. Getting into the lineup was Dennis Gilbert, who was a scratch the previous 10 video games.
UP NEXT
Penguins: Wrap up their street journey on Sunday towards the Edmonton Oilers.
Flames: Play host to the Seattle Kraken on Monday.
