SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Hockey
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
COLUMNS
NHL
The Teams
Full Schedule
Monthly Schedule
Standings
Statistics
Rosters
Injury list
Movement
Trades
Hits Gallery
INTERACTIVE
JUNIOR
MORE HOCKEY
ALSO ON SLAM!
Saturday, December 11, 1999
Brath-taking save
Freddie's a hero again
One moment. One pivotal moment.
In today's increasingly-tight NHL, games are won and lost on them more and more.
Last night's occurred with 58.3 seconds left.
With the Flames leading 3-2 and the Vancouver net empty, Markus Naslund swung around the net, and Fred Brathwaite, diving from his left to right, managed to get his paddle down across the goal line and deny the Swede.
So the Flames escaped with the victory, thanks to the little goalie with the big heart.
Brathwaite had also saved the day with nine-and-a-half minutes left, getting a piece of a breakaway shot from former Flame Andrew Cassels. That stop set the crowd to chanting "Fred-dee! Fred-dee!" for the man who has clearly become the most-popular Flame.
Then, with three minutes remaining, Brathwaite and Tommy Albelin combined to drive Bill Muckalt wide just as the second-year Canuck appeared to have room to round the goalie and see an open net.
Calgary has now gone 3-1-1-1 in its last five starts, picking up eight of a possible 10 points.
On the game-winning goal, scored at 1:09 of the third on a Flame powerplay, acting Canuck captain Naslund was tagged for obstruction/tripping way behind the play -- in fact, Naslund was already seated on the bench and had to be escorted off it and into the penalty box -- giving Calgary the man advantage.
Garth Snow had just produced a solid, standup save off Andrei Nazarov but the puck bounced off his pads and into the high slot. Val Bure beat everyone to it for his 15th goal and 30th point.
Big Nazarov enjoyed one of his finer efforts of the season, creating chances offensively and using his size to advantage.
Stricken by injuries, the Canucks are trying to make do without Mark Messier, Alexander Mogilny, Adrian Aucoin and Mattias Ohlund, among others. And it's got to be tough sledding.
Vancouver, 0-8-0 when trailing after a period, generated the better chances throughout the second and were rewarded with the only goal to even the count at two with 20 to play.
Brathwaite had to be sharp early on, a high, rising point shot from Ed Jovanovski ringing off the glass and kicking out to the side of the net. Todd Bertuzzi anticipated the carom, got to the spot and nimbly picked a bouncing puck out of the air and if not for Brathwaite sliding over and jamming his right pad against the post, would've scored.
The Flames had just flubbed a powerplay chance when Martin St. Louis, trying to slap the puck back into the zone, had it hit Peter Schaefer along the boards. Schaefer broke out and actually made a total mess of a potential 3-on-1 break, overhandling the puck and losing it at the side of the net. But Albelin whiffed on a clearing attempt, allowing Schaefer to regain possession, take a stride in front and jam the puck in on the long side at 14:02.
The Vegas bookies would've given anyone juicy odds on Nazarov, Brad May and Cale Hulse all scoring in one month, let alone one period. But lordy, lordy some strange things do happen!
Nazarov opened scoring at 8:11 of the first, an infinitely-stoppable shot from off the right boards eluding Snow long side. Snow took a kick at the puck ... and missed.
Just 10 seconds later, Hulse, on the same side of the ice and a bit closer, flicked a shot that struck a Canuck stick on its way to the net and fooled Snow.
The goal was No. 1 for Mr. Hulse.
But the Canucks ate into the Calgary advantage less than two minutes later, May standing all alone at the lip of the crease to convert the rebound of a Chris Joseph point shot.
May would later leave the game with an undisclosed knee injury and not return.
The Flames visit Chicago tomorrow night.
 Bert's back on blades Blue Jays boot game Bombers drop Peterson Felicien rebuilds race | Visit our Polls Archive |