In a move that I don’t ever remember seeing in the NHL before (correct me if I’m wrong) the Flames played 2 games in one night against the Vancouver Canucks; one game in Calgary and one game in Vancouver. The Flames split their top 2 lines between the teams and chose to dress Miikka Kiprusoff in Calgary with Leland Irving. The Canucks sat their top 3 skaters and goalie Roberto Luongo and sent their core and younger players out in both games.

Bragging rights definitely go to Flames fans for this one, as the Flames walked away with 2 wins. Sure, it’s exhibition hockey so it doesn’t really mean anything, but it’s the first time in memory that the Flames have beaten the Canucks twice in one night. Canucks fans on Twitter argued that it didn’t mean anything (conveniently when they were already well on their way to losing), so deep down I’ll take a little pride out of this one. Even if Luongo, the Sedin Sisters and that other guy they have that’s pretty good weren’t playing…

Game one (in Calgary)

The Canucks scored first in Calgary when Jannik Hansen fired the puck past Kiprusoff as he slid across the net. The Flames answered in the second period with a great goal from Mikael Backlund on a pinpoint feed from Alex Tanguay.

The Flames took the lead early in the third period with a break-in goal from Ales Kotalik. However the lead was short lived as Marco Rosa scored on a sharp angle shot on Leland Irving to tie it at 2′s.

The Flames sealed the win when Alex Tanguay passed the puck to a streaking Jarome Iginla who fired the puck over Vancouver goalie Tyler Weiman’s shoulder. Weiman learned a quick lesson not to get too deep in his net when Iggy has the puck on his stick.

Scoring Summary

First Period
VAN: Hansen A: Tambellini, Perrault

Second Period
CGY: Backlund A: Tanguay, Regehr

Third Period
CGY: Kotalik A: Regehr
VAN: Rosa unassisted
CGY: Iginla A: Tanguay, Bouwmeester

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Game 2 (in Vancouver)

Both goalies (Karlsson for Calgary and Schneider for Vancouver) played a solid period stopping all shots. It wasn’t until the last 3 minutes of the second period that the Flames found a way to beat Schneider as Niklas Hagman slipped a shot past him into the Vancouver net.

Rene Bourque and Staffan Kronwall scored a minute apart, early in the 3rd to give the Flames a commanding 3-0 lead in the game. Raffi Torres countered 10 minutes later but it was all the Canucks home squad could muster on the night.

Scoring Summary

First Period
no score

Second Period
CGY: Hagman A: Kronwal, Wahl

Third Period
CGY: Bourque A: Hagman
CGY: Kronwall A: Wahl, Bourque
VAN: Torres A: Shirkov, Rome