Stars Reverse the Whip on Flames...Well, Kind Of in a 4-3 Shootout Win

by Brandon Bibb on Jan 28, 2010 12:24 AM CST in Game Recaps Comment 9 comments

I'll admit it.

After the run of penalties on Mikka Kiprusoff at the end of OT, I was really hoping to see the Stars win the game on the power play in OT simply because of the way the game ended the last time these two teams met in Dallas in early November.

You remember that game, right? Where the refs mistakenly called Nik Grossman for shooting the puck out of play from his own defensive zone. Even though he wasn't in his own defensive zone?

I wanted to see them score on that power play just to hear what bitterness would come from Brent Sutter's mouth in the post game press conference. He certainly wasn't a happy camper behind the bench when the first slashing penalty was called on Kipper. And I really wanted to yell 'Karma's a female dog, A-HOLE!!'

But alas, a shootout win will have to do. Still hate them in their current form, however.

And it's all because of the point Razor made tonight. You get the same amount of points for winning a game that ended in a shootout that Colorado got for thoroughly dominating the Stars Sunday night. It just doesn't make sense.

As for the ejection of Mark Fistric for using Eric Nystrom's helmet against him as a close range projectile weapon, well, it was deserved. But probably also a heat of the moment situation.

Good news is, Fisty doesn't have checkered past with the league and Nystrom was none the worse for wear after the fight, which came on the heels of a perfectly legitimate and craftily executed hip check. I think that'll play in a role in reducing whatever suspension Fistric deserves.

That incident turned the game around until James Neal deflected a Stephane Robidas point shot to get Dallas back in the game. Then Brad Richards scored the biggest power play goal to date this season when he tied the game on a 5-on-3 power play about midway through the third period. If Dallas doesn't score with that golden opportunity, I'm here to tell you Dallas doesn't win this game.

But won they did. And now they're just two points out of the 8th and final playoff spot.

Highlights below jump

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Comments

Boy, how I love Alex Auld these days.

"It would've been a huge momentum boost if we had beaten the St. Mary's School for the Blessed, Blind, Deaf and Dumb."

Hockey nut since the night of 5/2/08. What a night it was.

by Pat Iversen on Jan 28, 2010 12:52 AM CST reply actions

I thought a "good" netminder should have stopped that third goal and got his pad down on it sooner.

Bob Sturm agreed on the post game show with that, btw….

The other two….well that Fistric deal screwed it up.

Auld was OK once again. Maybe that’s enough.

by Brad Gardner on Jan 28, 2010 12:57 AM CST reply actions

all Auld has to be is OK, that seems to be enough to get this team a win. I don’t really care if he is amazing or just OK, as long as the team is putting together wins in front of him, i am satisfied.

born to destroy

by Lifewish on Jan 28, 2010 8:44 AM CST up reply actions

I still dont think that Fistric meant to use the helmet. He was just to focused on trying to throw Lumber. All the encompassing factors…I really hope they are not too hard on the kid. I think the Calgary Player that heald on to his broken stick, and then almost stabbed Skras was 10X worse. Lets see if the League “Sees” that….;)

by k9mike on Jan 28, 2010 7:33 AM CST reply actions

As a big Stars fan

I hate to say it but I think he absolutely meant to swing that helmet. Now I do think that he realized his mistake and let up about half way through the swing, but there’s nothing I saw that suggested he tried to let go of that helmet. It didn’t look “hung up” on his hand- it looked like he grabbed the strap and swung.

If it were Chris Pronger doing it to Mo, the fans here would be going apeshit.

by jabudi on Jan 28, 2010 9:39 AM CST up reply actions

Oh and the broken stick

Was definitely far worse IMO. But same thing- he pulled up at the last minute, thankfully.

by jabudi on Jan 28, 2010 9:41 AM CST up reply actions

Brent Sutter is going to have a stroke on the bench one of these days.

Supporting your local ice troll, 24/7/365

by laughs2loud on Jan 28, 2010 8:42 AM CST reply actions

I hate to be one of those "I knew they'd win" guys...

But even when they were down 3-1 in the second I knew I had to stay tuned in… Calgary just isn’t that good and the Stars weren’t playing all that bad. That goal at the end of the second was HUGE – I don’t think the Stars win this game or even tie it if they hadn’t made it a one goal game in the second intermission.

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by Art Middleton on Jan 28, 2010 9:01 AM CST reply actions

Whacky Win

This game was great from the get go. It was great to see the fight in both of these teams. Yes Auld should have kept the 3rd one out of the net, but oh well. If the defense would have held a little better, then it probably would not have been as bad of a game. The Stars really stuck with it, and turned the fire back on in the third period, and overtime and it really showed.
Yes it is sad that we are having the Auld/Turco discussion, but Auld just has calming presence in net and seems to display that to everyone else with two eyes, which seems to feed the team. I hope Crawford will just keep riding Auld.

by Speedbump Joey on Jan 28, 2010 4:41 PM CST reply actions