Calgary Flames Drop Game 4 to the Dallas Stars 5-4 in OT

Game 4 Preview

Calgary Flames 4 – Dallas Stars 5

Scoring

Calgary Flames

1st: None

2nd: 1:54 PPG – Gaudreau (3), (Bennett/Monahan); 3:57 PPG – Bennett (4), (Monahan/Gaudreau); 14:50 – Bennett (5), (Lucic)

3rd: 3:11 SHG – Rieder (3), (Ryan/Andersson)

Dallas Stars

1st: 18:11 PPG – Pavelski (3), (Klingberg/Seguin)

2nd: 3:14 – Pavelski (4), (Comeau/Lindell); 19:23 PPG – Gurianov (2), (Heiskanen/Hintz)

3rd: 19:48 – Pavelski (5), (Klingberg/Seguin)

OT: 16:05 – Klingberg (1), (Benn/Lindell)

Stats Summary

Recap

Just when the Calgary Flames first line started showing some signs of life — Pavelski and the Dallas Stars snuffed them and tied this playoff series 2-2. Joe Pavelski with his first career playoff hat trick.

The Flames looked good to start, but the referees were handing out penalties like they were on a quota.

On the Stars PP late in the 1st period Pavelski was able to dish the loose puck up and over Talbot’s right pad to get the Stars on the board first.

Johnny Gaudreau would tie the game 1-1 early in the 2nd period on a PPG best described by @truemambaworld:

There would be 5 goals in the second period — the first 3 goals coming 2 mins and 3 seconds apart. Johnny, then Pavelski with his 2nd for the Stars, then Benny for the Flames.

Sam Bennett coming in hot — with 2 goals in the 2nd period to put the Flames up 3-2.

Stars make it 3-3 on Denis Gurianov’s PP goal as he gets one past Talbot, glove side with 36.1 seconds left in the second period.

Early in the 3rd period Tobias Rieder calls for the puck, with a hustling Derek Ryan able to get it to him for yet another short-handed goal — Rieder breaking records and putting the Flames up 4-3.

Things would get interesting — Geoff Ward with two challenges in 3 minutes at the end of the 3rd. The first challenge going the Flames way — Corey Perry with goalie interference and Dickinson’s goal recalled. The second challenge was to check to see if the Stars’ Seguin was offside — the call going the Stars way this time and Pavelski registering that hat trick.

The Flames unable to hold on to the 1-goal lead with Pavelski’s tying goal coming with 11.2 seconds left to play — as a result the game would go into overtime with a score of 4-4.

The shots were in favour of Dallas 21-6 in the 3rd period, with shot attempts 77-51 also in favour of the Stars by the end of the 3rd.

It would be Klingberg to stick it to the Flames with the OT game winner. The Flames trying desperately to block shots as the Stars kept pressing. T.J. Brodie breaking his stick — that led to the sequence of Dube giving him his stick — and Jamie Benn recognizing that made a pass to Klingberg who shot one past Dube who was without a stick, beating Talbot on the Stars 62nd shot to end this game 16 minutes into OT.

Final Thoughts

BREAKING RECORDS : The last time a member of the Calgary Flames scored 2 back-to-back short-handed goals was in 1995 by German Titov (SNW).

Rieder had a good chance to end it in OT as well, with a solid feed from Backlund and an open net, but he fanned and broke his stick on the play — Flames need a new inventory of sticks.

Cam Talbot made a career high of 57 saves in this fast paced 76 minute game. The Stars kept on hitting metal – it was only a matter of time before they got one past Talbot.

Flame of the Game

Sam Bennett (F) – 2G, 1A and 5 hits. Benny with his first 3-pt game in these playoffs.

Game 5 of the Flames vs. Stars Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs is August 18th TBD

by Renu Sahota