No flameouts, Bruins hang on in overtime

[ Game summary ]

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 10/18/2002

ALGARY, Alberta - It wasn't the dominant performance they put on Monday in Denver and it wasn't the skating clinic they put on Wednesday in Vancouver, but the Bruins toughed out a 3-3 overtime tie with the Calgary Flames last night, extending their unbeaten streak to three games (2-0-1-0).

The teams traded power-play goals in the first period with Bruins right wing Glen Murray potting his third in two games and defenseman Toni Lydman answering with his first of the season.

The game marked the starting debut as a Bruin for goaltender Steve Shields, who was pressed into service at the start of the second period in Vancouver Wednesday as a result of John Grahame's right shoulder injury that will sideline him indefinitely.

''The guys played solid and we're happy to come out with one point,'' said Joe Thornton. ''Coming off back-to-back games, we played great tonight. We showed a lot of grit. I thought they were going to grab us a little bit more, especially in the defensive zone, but nothing really happened like that. We got to cycle a little bit more and got some good scoring chances off of that. [Shields] really did play great tonight. He stepped up to the challenge. When you've got a goaltender like that who can hold you in the game, you're going to be very successful.''

Less than two minutes before his tally, Murray was struck in the face by a stick, which opened up a cut near his mouth. He was treated by the medical staff and returned to the game. With center Marc Savard off for obstruction/holding the stick, Thornton centered to Murray in the slot. The big right wing rifled a shot over the glove of Roman Turek, putting Boston up, 1-0.

The Flames thought they had tied it at 7:15. Right wing Blake Sloan dished a pass to Mathias Johansson, who took the shot that trickled through Shields. Shields dropped backward on the puck in an attempt to freeze it. The officials lost sight of the puck and blew the whistle. The play was reviewed and ruled no goal.

But Lydman pulled the Flames even at the 19-minute mark. With Nick Boynton in the penalty box for hooking, former Boston University standout Chris Drury teed up a slapper from the right point. Shields made the stop but the rebound went to Lydman, who buried it.

Early in the second, with time running out on a power play, the Flames went ahead on a goal by former Boston College player Chuck Kobasew. Savard, positioned deep in the right circle, slid the puck into the slot for Kobasew, who beat Shields for his second goal of the season at 1:29.

The next two Boston goals, scored by defensemen, put the Bruins back on top, 3-2.

Sergei Samsonov dished a pass to Murray on the right side. Turek caught Murray's shot momentarily and his team stopped moving, perhaps anticipating a whistle. It didn't come, though, and Jonathan Girard tapped in the rebound at 5:19.

At 16:25, Bryan Berard potted his first of the year. Samsonov teed up a slapper from the top of the right circle. Turek turned it back but left the rebound for Berard, who was driving the net from the left side.

Girard was victimized on the Flames' third goal with only 18.3 seconds remaining in the second period.

Right wing Chris Clark was looking to pass across the slot. Girard went down to block the pass but the puck caromed off his body and slithered past Shields. Tie game.

The game took a very bizarre turn with 5:24 left in regulation when a streaker scaled the glass and landed hard on the ice on his back, injuring himself. He laid opposite the benches and members of both teams stared in disbelief. The fan was eventually carted onto a stretcher and wheeled away.

''It was unbelievable, it was very bizarre,'' said Thornton. ''I saw him taking down his pants and I was like, `What is he doing?' The poor guy, hopefully he's all right, though.''

This story ran on page E1 of the Boston Globe on 10/18/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.