Friday, December 20, 2002
Calgary returned to Columbus for the first time since March when a 13-year-old girl was struck by a puck.
COLUMBUS (AP) -- The Columbus Blue Jackets seem to match up well against the Calgary Flames, especially at home.
Marc Denis made 29 saves for his fifth career shutout, and Lasse Pirjeta scored twice as the Blue Jackets beat Calgary 3-0 to remain perfect at home against the Flames.
"They play a lot like we do," Blue Jackets coach Dave King said. "It challenges us ... and there is a little edge there."
Has Calgary's number
Columbus is 5-0 at home against Calgary, having outscored the Flames 19-8. The Blue Jackets have won seven of their last 11 home games.
Calgary returned to Columbus for the first time since March 16 when 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was struck by a puck and died two days later.
"It was something that was very tragic and very sad," said Calgary's Jarome Iginla, last season's NHL scoring champion. "Everyone really cared for the family and cared for her. It's great to see the nets up everywhere around the league."
Denis registered the Blue Jackets' first shutout of the season and rookie defenseman Duvie Westcott assisted on Pirjeta's goals.
"I get credit for it the shutout on the stat sheet but this was a great collective effort," Denis said, 5-1 against the Flames.
The loss was the Flames' first in their last five road games. Calgary couldn't mount a comeback in the third period despite a two-minute, two-man advantage against the league's top penalty-killing unit.
"We knew coming in that they were going to be ready and on us," Flames interim coach Al MacNeil said. "In spots we really played hard but we didn't execute at the right times."
The Blue Jackets scored on its second shot just two minutes in when Pirjeta redirected Westcott's wrist shot from the point past Roman Turek. Columbus outshot the Flames 14-6 in the second period and scored twice.
Tomi Kallio made it 2-0, tallying his first goal with the Blue Jackets on Ray Whitney's centering pass from the right corner at 7:32. Kallio was acquired Dec. 2 in a trade with Atlanta.
Pirjeta then scored his second of the night -- a power-play goal -- and fourth of the season from the edge of the crease to give Columbus a 3-0 lead. Westcott's pass deflected off the stick of Flames defenseman Toni Lydman to Pirjeta.
"It was a strong effort for the whole team," said Pirjeta, a first-year player from Finland. "I'm happy for the goals."