Flames keep in playoff hunt after dramatic evaluation, Markstrom’s heroics

Half the Calgary Flames had left the bench, stomping into the dressing in anger over what they thought was the group’s newest extra time loss.

Some even began undressing.

Not Jacob Markstrom.

The most important purpose the sport had gotten that far stood patiently alongside Darryl Sutter and a handful of teammates who weren’t fairly certain what to assume because the league’s conflict room contemplated the potential of overturning the play because of off-side.

Mere seconds earlier than banging in a rebound for the sport’s solely aim, Jared Spurgeon’s skates each clearly entered the Flames’ zone forward of the puck as he backed in with it and made a move.

Alas, the league decided that since Spurgeon didn’t have the puck on his tape as he crossed the road, he wasn’t deemed to have possession.

No aim, giving the Flames one other crack at conserving their slim playoff hopes alive.

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Lower than 24 hours after Tyler Toffoli breathed new life into the group with a last-second game-winner in Dallas, he capped the shootout by discovering Filip Gustavsson’s five-hole to play the hero once more in an important 1-0 win in St. Paul over the Wild.

“I believe there was 10 of us within the room,” stated Toffoli, smiling. “We thought the sport was over, clearly.

“There was some gear (off) — I’m not going to call names.

“My jersey might need been off.

“Clearly we heard everybody screaming to get again on the market and Darryl informed us to get our heads again into it, and we discovered a approach.”

Markstrom tried to stay calm on the bench, because the dramatic flip of occasions unfolded.

“As an alternative of being mad and dropping it, I simply figured I’d keep on the bench till it was confirmed,” stated Markstrom, who made a season-high 40 saves to put up his first goose egg of the season.

“I simply waited.

“I didn’t wish to get my hopes up.

“I didn’t wish to get upset and lose my head. I simply needed to remain centered.”

He did, staying excellent within the ultimate minute of extra time earlier than stopping three of 4 photographs within the shootout.

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Tuesday’s win marked the primary time all season a Flames netminder stole a recreation.

Full marks to the embattled netminder who has achieved effectively to bounce again from his season of horrors along with his fourth-straight stable effort.

It’s his web for the remainder of the season, and he’ll undoubtedly play the largest function in figuring out whether or not this group can maintain their playoff hopes intact.

Tuesday’s unlikely win introduced the Flames to inside 4 factors of idle Winnipeg for the ultimate wild-card berth, and ended a horrific stretch of high groups and tight turnarounds.

Anaheim visits the Flames Friday, with the hosts armed with all kinds of adrenaline following their first two-game win streak in six agonizing weeks.

Indicators of life.

“Good to get some credit score — his first shutout of the yr and first star,” stated Sutter of his netminder, who hadn’t received consecutive begins since earlier than Christmas. “One or two tough video games at residence and all people threw us beneath the bus, so good for him.”

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The league initiated the evaluation of the extra time aim, however Sutter was fast to counsel the referees wanted to take a look at it.

“Gotta have possession,” he stated. “While you’re skating backwards, you’ve acquired to have the puck in your stick.

“The very first thing I stated is, ‘they gotta have a look at that in a rush,’ as a result of I don’t assume it was on his stick.”

Wild coach Dean Evason agreed.

“We simply checked out it — we thought it was offside,” he stated. “He positively launched it earlier than it acquired over the blue line by an inch. So yeah, arduous to argue with that.”

Outshot 40-26 and out-chanced 17-8 in high-danger alternatives, the Flames ought to make no apologies for lastly leaving a constructing with the kind of outcome that required a little bit of the puck luck they’ve so sorely lacked this season.

They caught with it on the second half of a back-to-back that noticed them journey 1,400 km in a single day, to get revenge on a group that humbled them Saturday in Calgary.

It took nice goaltending, in addition to nerves of metal from Nazem Kadri, who wanted to transform his shootout alternative to extend the sport, and arrange Toffoli’s dramatic end.

As an alternative of mobbing the group’s main aim scorer, the bench emptied and instantly raced towards Markstrom.

“Begins yesterday with a win — Toffoli with six seconds left was big after we allow them to within the recreation once more,” stated Markstrom.

“Truthfully, I’m so pleased for him,” added Toffoli.

“Unimaginable man, nice teammate.

“Clearly the beginning of the yr wasn’t his biggest, and clearly lots of people are throughout him for it, however I believe he’s actually stepped up, particularly these final two video games.

“Glad we may get him a win.”

Extra from Sportsnet

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Flames high Wild in shootout after Spurgeon’s OT winner will get waved off

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