Saturday, March 2nd marked an exciting day for Calgary Flames fans. The legendary franchise goalie Miikka Kiprusoff’s jersey was retired during Hockey Night In Canada. He spent the majority of his career playing in front of the C of Red, playing nine seasons with the franchise before retiring in 2013. Plenty of Calgary Flames fans were waiting for this game all season long.
This game marked not only a moment in franchise history but a crucial game for the team itself. The Flames were playing well, having beaten four good teams including the Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, and the Los Angeles Kings. Next up was Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Kickstart From Kiprusoff
Miikka Kiprusoff is arguably the best goalie in the history of the Calgary Flames. He was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the Calgary Flames on November 16th, 2003. The return for him was just a conditional pick in the 2005 draft. An amazing deal that would go down as one of the greatest in Calgary Flames history.
He was the kickstart that the franchise needed, as he led them to the Stanley Cup Finals in his first season. Down the stretch of that season, Kiprusoff posted an outstanding 1.70 goals against average along with a 0.933 save percentage! He would continue his amazing play in the playoffs posting a 1.85 goals-against average and a 0.928 save percentage. These are incredible numbers even in today’s NHL.
Some people outside of Calgary may not realize how great of a goalie he was. He was a netminder who would lock it down for the Calgary Flames’ next eight seasons. Miikka Kiprusoff’s legacy will live on forever.
Kiprusoff’s Fuel For The Flames
What a night it was for the city of Calgary. The chants of “Kipper Kipper” returned one last time for all. After a beautiful ceremony, the Calgary Flames made an amazing comeback to end the night. It did not start well as the Flames only had a whopping ten shots through the first two periods. The play was in favour of the Pittsburgh Penguins until the third period.
A highlight reel goal from Nazem Kadri gave the Calgary Flames a massive energy boost that would provoke the eventual comeback win. Just thirty-two seconds later Blake Coleman tied the game while Yegor Sharangovich scored the winner with fifty seconds remaining. This marks a significant win for the Calgary Flames as they are now on a five-game winning streak.
A Night For #34
There is no doubt March 2nd, 2024 will be a night that Miikka Kiprusoff will never forget. He affected this game in a way some people may not have noticed.
Next up: Penguins Prefer Prospects to Draft Picks in Jake Guentzel Trade
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