- Calgary Flames defeated Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference First Round playoffs, 2-0.
- Fantastic Cam Talbot was the man of the match, with 35 saves.
- Flames were without Matthew Tkachuk, who suffered an injury in Game 2.
- Calgary leads, 2-1, with the next game taking place on Sunday.
Talbot Superb, Saves Flames
The 33-year old goalie had 35 saves last night, propelling his Flames to a 2-0 win over their rivals in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. Talbot, who came to Calgary before the start of the current campaign as a free-agent, frustrated Stars’ attackers throughout the entire contest, especially in the second period.
He would record 16 saves, allowing his team to gain momentum and score a goal that completely demoralized the rivals.
“He’s the reason why we won the hockey game. He’s been real good for us. I had no qualms at all….. He certainly did that. He was the difference in the hockey game,” said Geoff Ward, Flames’ head coach after the match.
The Canadians had just four shots in that second frame, but one of them ended behind Anton Khudobin’s back. Mikael Backlund shocked the Stars, at 5:58 of the same, when he netted a shorthanded goal. It was a massive blow for the franchise from Texas, who was better in those moments.
Until the end of the sequence, it was Talbot who kept the difference and who provided safety to Ward’s crew. TJ Brodie sent a laser-precise slap shot in the middle of the third, to sink Dallas’ hopes and to seal this event, erasing the bad memories from Thursday’s clash.
In that contest, Stars denied Flames’ late push, which saw them equalizing the score, and Jamie Oleksiak netted a game-winner some 20 seconds before the final horn.
“I felt pretty good from the get-go,” Talbot explained to the reporters. “They had some chances early on. I was able to feel the puck and make some saves and gain confidence from there.”
The former Flyer, Oiler, and Ranger signed a one-year deal once landing in Calgary, worth $2.75 million, and so far, it turned out to be a solid bargain for the Flames.
Meanwhile, the Stars’ players were disappointed due to a defeat, but not that much, because they know that there is enough time to correct all the mistakes.
“I just think we’ve got leave this game behind, look at the next game,” Stars’ Mattias Janmark said. “You can’t get too high after a win, and you definitely can’t get too low after a loss.
Tkachuk Out, Probable for Game 4
Matthew Tkachuk skipped this event, after a hard hit he received in Game 2, once Jamie Oleksiak and Jamie Benn sandwiched Flames’ winger.
According to the sources from around the team, he should be playing in Game 4, which would be a massive boost for Calgary. Tkachuk scored 23 goals during this campaign and added 38 assists, and his influence on the situation on the ice is immeasurable. The next contest is scheduled for this Sunday, at 2 pm ET, in Edmonton
