Calgary prepared to end their brief three game road-trip in warmer climate by visiting the Phoenix Coyotes. So far they’ve managed to collect 3 of a possible four points, so another two would give them 5 of 6, not so bad. Most eyes were on the lineup, in particular who would lineup with Jarome Iginla to help kickstart his troubled 2009.

Some have said nothing is wrong with Iginla, and it a sense that’s true, however, he’s not a normal player, he’s a super-star, and scoring 2 in 18 games isn’t good enough.

Back to the game. The Flames started strong in the first coming out to a crowd that was 3/4 full and 1/4 of those were Flames fans.


Phoenix went up first despite the Flames play mostly thanks to Bertuzzi’s two minor penalties. The first line was minus in the first and Jarome payed a bit of center but lost all his draws in the defensive zone.

Turnovers were the name of the game in the second period as five goals were scored, four for the Flames and one by the Coyotes. That’s four off of turnovers, none by Iginla or the top line. Bertuzzi made a bit of amenze by recording two assists. Aucoin, Sarich, Langkow, Lombardi, and Glencross short-handed rounded out the scoring.

The Flames gave up their turnovers too surrendering a goal, but they were given some gifts and easy goals by Phoenix that helped change the momentum.

Calgary opened the third with more scoring, in fact, twice more in the third. Both time Bertuzzi chimed in with assists to give him four for the night. He was playing in place of Andre Roy for some reason on the fourth line so double the ice-time.

Phoenix managed to score on a 4v4 with Cammalleri in the box for trying to fight a dude twice his size. Calgary responded with another 2v1 and a Nystrom goal. Phoenix, who had all the powerplays in the game, potted another on the PP hurting Kipper’s goals against (the Flames also surrendered over 35 shots).

The Coyotes found life as Calgary thought seven goals would be enough. The fourth line for Phoenix were consistent with their downlow pressure and rewarded with three goals on the night. As the Flames scored four in the second Phoenix returned with three goals on eight shots in the third.

But that would be as close as they would come in what turned out to be back and forth third period. The third period Phoenix won but their turnovers in the first two caused them to loose the game.

Notes: NO POINTS FOR IGINLA even with SEVEN goals scored.