Flames Score Three-straight to Edge Wings

The Detroit Red Wings returned from their West Coast Thursday night, falling to the Calgary Flames in their first game back home.

After scoring the first two goals of the game, the Red Wings allowed three unanswered to give the Flames the win.

Detroit was unable to convert on an early five-on-three but scored twice on the power play in the first period.

Henrik Zetterberg opened the scoring with 9:30 remaining in the period, working a give-and-go with Pavel Datsyuk. Zetterberg had the puck along the right-wing boards and sent it down to Datsyuk behind the goal line while cutting in towards the net. Datsyuk drew in the defender and passed back to Zetterberg to put it in and give the Wings the lead.

Tomas Holmstrom added to the lead 3:33 later, knocking a rebound out of the air and between Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff’s pads.

From then on, it was all Calgary.

The Flames scored their first of the game at 9:36 of the second, getting a lucky bounce when Chuck Kobasew threw the puck out in front from behind the goal line. It deflected off of Daymond Langkow and trickled between Detroit rookie netminder Jim Howard’s legs, just barely crossing the goal line.

The two combined again to tie the game with 5:38 remaining in the middle frame. With Calgary on the power play, Langkow intercepted a Mathieu Schneider clearing attempt along the left wing boards. He sent a centering pass to Kobasew, who put it past Howard.

Just 19 seconds into the third, Tony Amonte scored the game-winner. Amonte poked the puck away from Schneider at the Flames’ blue line as a Calgary penalty expired. Amonte rushed down the ice on a 2-on-0 with Rhett Warrener and faked out Howard, putting the puck past his outstretched pad.

Neither team was able to score again, although the Flames had their chances.

Detroit fought off a lengthy 5-on-3 that saw Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby and Steve Yzerman all in the penalty box.

With 1:11 remaining, Shean Donovan was tripped to the ice by Jason Woolley and was given a penalty shot, on which he didn’t even get a shot off. It was the second penalty shot faced in as many career games for Howard.

Howard stopped 33 of 36 shots against while Kiprusoff only needed to make 19 saves on 21 shots.

Detroit’s power play went two-for-five while their penalty kill allowed one goal on seven chances.

The Red Wings are back in action on Sunday when they host their first Eastern Conference foe of the season, the New York Islanders.