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Flames keep slim playoff hopes alive

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By staff report | Wednesday, April 2, 2008 1:10 AM CDT | () comments

DES MOINES — No fooling.

The Quad-City Flames forced overtime with a 185-foot, short-handed goal on a clearing attempt by David Van der Gulik midway through the third period and stopped a late-season three-game slide with a 4-3 shootout win over the Iowa Flames on Tuesday.

The Q-C win eliminated Iowa from playoff contention and kept the Flames’ slim hopes alive, but, more importantly perhaps, the Flames picked up a point on their rivals to the West in what might be a stretch-run battle to avoid the West Division basement.

The Flames improved to 34-30-2-7 and now lead the Stars 77-73 in standings points. They face Iowa twice in the season’s final seven games, Saturday and Wednesday, both at the i wireless Center.

The Flames also tied an American Hockey League record for shootout wins in a season with their 11th as Tomi Maki and Grant Stevenson scored as the first two Q-C shootout skaters, and Curtis McElhinney turned away four Iowa tries.

The Flames battled back from a 3-1 third-period deficit as first Derek Couture pounded in Q-C’s second power-play score of the night at 5:09, and then Van der Gulik improbably slipped that clearing shot from his own zone beyond the reach of rookie Iowa goaltender Matt Climie.

The Iowa netminder, signed two weeks ago to an Amatuer Tryout Agreement, was making only his second professional start.

“I just really couldn’t buy a bounce,” Climie said. “Give up three goals, and all three were bad bounces.”