Calgary, Alberta – The Avalanche’s goaltending was much better the fourth time around in Calgary this season. The offense was not, however, which is why the Avs lost all four games at the Pengrowth Saddledome this season, the last a 2-0 loss to the Flames on Thursday night.
Calgary’s Miikka Kiprusoff, a favorite to win the Vezina Trophy this season as the NHL’s top goaltender, blanked the Avs for his league-leading 10th shutout. He made a few dandy saves, including a glove-hand robbery of Rob Blake’s walk-in tying bid with 14 minutes left. But overall Kiprusoff had a fairly easy night as the Flames stifled Colorado with pressure on the puck, limiting the Avs to 23 shots.
With one point in either of their last two games, the Avs could guarantee a finish no lower than seventh place in the Western Conference.
“Our only thought next is Vancouver and getting two points there,” said Avs winger Ian Laperriere, who hit the post with a shot late in the game. “We’re not going in there or anywhere thinking, ‘Let’s just get one point.’ Our mentality is to get two points every night.”
That the Avs didn’t do that against the Flames can be blamed in part on failing to take advantage of a lengthy 5-on-3 in the second period. Colorado had its opportunity for 1:17 but didn’t put much pressure on Kiprusoff. Joe Sakic lost the puck at the blue line at one point.
In addition, the Flames’ Stephane Yelle and Daymond Langkow each lost their sticks during the 5-on-3.
“Scoring first in a game like this is huge, and obviously the difference was we didn’t get it there,” Avs coach Joel Quenneville said. “We were probably passing when we could have looked to shoot a little bit more.”
Nearly three minutes after the Flames killed off the two-man disadvantage, they scored the only goal of the first 40 minutes. Stellar rookie defenseman Dion Phaneuf put a screened wrist shot from the blue line past Avs goalie Jose Theodore at 10:35.
Colorado had another power play late in the second, but the Flames goalie didn’t yield.
The Avs’ only bright spot was Theodore’s play. He looked strong throughout and wasn’t much to blame on the screened goal. He finished with 23 saves.
“I saw (Phaneuf’s shot) when it left a little bit, but then after that I lost it for a second and it hit the corner,” Theodore said.
Said Quenneville: “Both goalies played very well. I liked (Theodore) around the net when we were killing penalties. … He came out and played the puck several times and I thought he was solid.”
Tony Amonte added an empty-net goal for the Flames, who clinched the Northwest Division title. It was the Avs’ first shutout defeat since Feb. 4 against the Detroit Red Wings – the team the Avs don’t want to face in the first round of the playoffs.
“In this building (the Flames are) pretty tough,” said Avs winger Milan Hejduk, who was minus-1 with one shot on goal. “They play hard here. They battle real hard, play simple hockey.”
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
