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Wednesday, December 8, 1999
Habby road
Tie helps end Flames road swing on high note
MONTREAL -- Even at the end, after 12 days, six games, they were forced to do extra.
Figures.
Everything's a struggle for Brian's boys.
Putting the old warrior, Grant Fuhr, back into the net as a starter for the first time in almost a month, the Calgary Flames ended their latest odyssey with a 3-3 OT tie against the injury-depleted Canadiens.
Oh, they flirted with disaster, all right.
They allowed 2-0 and 3-1 leads to evaporate.
With just over six minutes left, Val Bure reaches down and picks a pop fly off his skate laces, cradles the puck to avoid a check, and draws a minor. The Habs storm the bastille but the visitors hold them out, the key Montreal moment going unclaimed with Phil Housley turning to slap a loose puck away from the top of the crease.
In the 4-on-4 overtime, Jeff Hackett flicked a toe at a hard point shot by Derek Morris, but left himself at the mercy of Martin St. Louis on the rebound. Unfortunately for St. Louis, however, the puck was skipping and he chipped it into the goalie's mitt.
So Calgary finishes its six-game, 12-day odyssey with six points out of a possible 12, at 2-3-1-1.
"If we were tired in the third period and overtime, we sure didn't show it." said coach Brian Sutter. "That's three games in four nights and we got four out of a possible six points.
"This team has every reason to be proud of itself. It's been a long trip. We had some obstacles to overcome, but I think anybody would take .500 on this trip in an instant."
Fuhr, making his first start since Nov. 13, showed signs of the old quickness, especially with the catching mitt.
"At least I know one part of the old body still works. It felt like the only one that was giving me help tonight," said Fuhr, who took over for Freddie Brathwaite as the starter for the first time in 11 games.
"Freddie played extremely well, so I have no complaints. Bottom line is, whether it's Freddie or myself, the team has to do well."
But neither Fuhr nor his teammates, likely tired after a rugged, wrenching OT loss at Madison Square Garden, could put the finishing touches on what they'd started.
During a tense third period, Hnat Domenichelli came close to snapping the tie for Calgary, weaving his way into the Hab zone, watching Canadiens drop in his wake, and forcing Hackett to a sharp save. Minutes later, Aaron Asham of the Habs came even closer, ringing a shot off a post.
Meanwhile, Fuhr was holding up his end of the bargain.
"I didn't look rusty? I felt rusty. It's nice to get back in and play, obviously. I felt like I hadn't played forever," said Fuhr.
Sutter said there was no question of who to start, despite Fuhr's inactivity.
"We played a tough, hard game in New York, got in late and Freddie's been playing a lot lately," said Sutter. "There's no doubt in my mind which way to go and the coaching staff agreed. I thought Grant was really solid for us. He's a veteran, even if he hasn't played in a while, he's going to come in and give you those types of efforts."
Martin Rucinsky, with two, and Dainius Zubrus scored for Montreal. Morris, Bure with his 14th, and Cory Stillman replied for Calgary.
"This team's just getting better and better. We showed a lot of character and resiliency on this trip," said Fuhr. "There's no doubt in my mind we're going to make the playoffs.
"I think this trip, getting down and losing the first two games and coming back to finish the way we did, shows this."
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