Flames close out home season with setback

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By Craig DeVrieze | Saturday, April 12, 2008 1:13 AM CDT | () comments

The Quad-City Flames would have liked to reward the season’s third-largest home crowd with a victory.

But in the first Flames’ season’s home finale, a crowd of 4,612 had to settle instead for an entertaining and frustrating 5-4 overtime loss to the Iowa Stars.

“It’s kind of the story of our year,’’ forward Brandon Prust said of a wild, weird and mildly controversial affair. “(There were) two goals that shouldn’t have counted for them, and we hit about eight posts. That’s the way our year went.’’

Replays showed Iowa netted its fourth goal after the officials failed to see an illegal hand pass in front of the crease. The Stars’ third goal came after former UHL linesman Al Stensland ruled Flames goaltender Matt Keetley caught a puck behind the goal line when the partisan crowd loudly thought replays again indicated otherwise.

There was no question, though, about the goal that sent the last-place Stars away with the win.

Marty Sertich ripped a slapshot from between the circles with 1:40 gone in the five-minute four-on-four overtime to end the Flames’ home season on a disappointing note.

A Q-C win would have assured the Flames won’t go from first to worst a year after winning the West Division.

At 36-32-3-7 with 82 standings points, they can be tied by last-place Iowa (35-35-5-3, 78 points) if the Stars win out and the Flames lose tonight and Sunday in San Antonio.

On the other hand, with some success in San Antonio, the Flames could catch Peoria (83 standings points) for sixth in the division.

“Two games to give it our all,’’ said forward Tomi Maki, whose second-period short-handed goal brought the Flames back from an early  2-0 deficit to a 2-2 tie. “Hopefully, we get good results.’’

The Flames — who also battled back from 3-2 and 4-3 deficits and outshot Iowa 16-4 in the third — definitely wanted a better end result in Friday’s home finale.

“The fans have been great for us all year,’’ said Kris Chucko, who twice countered controversial Iowa goals with game-tying power-play scores, at 14:27 of the second and 16:23 of the third. “It was nice to see a great crowd, and at the end they were loud. It would have been nice to get a win for them.’’

Rookie goaltender Matt Keetley agreed.

“Every loss is disappointing,’’ he said. “This one is even harder to take. With a good crowd like that, you want to go out with some pride. You want to go out with the win.’’

Keetley thought he caught the puck ahead of the line on Iowa’s third goal and thought he had it covered ahead of the hand pass that led to their fourth.

Coach Ryan McGill declined to question either goal.

“Why are we making this an issue in Game 78?’’ he said. “You write it anyway you want. I’m not making a comment on it.’’

His assessment of a performance in which his team fought back from an early 2-0 deficit and then again to force overtime after Iowa’s hand-passed aided goal?

“Good enough to lose in overtime,’’ he said.

McGill questioned the effort of some Flames players, particularly while the visitors forged ahead with two goals over a span of 30 seconds early in the first.

“They came out physical, we didn’t match it and couldn’t recover,’’ he said. “Some guys have mailed it in. Some guys won’t have contracts next year. I’m not going to lose sleep over it.’’

Flames scoreboard

Score

Stars 5, Flames 4 (OT)

Next

The Flames wrap up their season with games tonight at 7 and Sunday at 5 p.m. in San Antonio.

Flames honor players

The Flames presented nine player awards before Friday’s opening faceoff, three to Grant Stevenson, including Most Valuable Player.

Stevenson also won the Star Player award for having been listed among the three postgame stars 20 times this season, including eight selections as first star. Stevenson also was awarded a trophy for leading the Flames in scoring.

Derek Couture was presented the Jim Kohley Memorial Award by the Flames’ group of dedicated off-ice officials. The award, named for the group’s first leader, recognizes hard work and dedication.

Carsen Germyn was selected as Fan Favorite as a result of online voting and also was presented the Media Award for his cooperation with local media members.

Other award winners included Tim Hambly as Outstanding defenseman; Matt Keetley as Rookie of the Year; and Matt Pelech as Most Improved.

Burke, Donally to Vegas

At least two Quad-City Flames will get a taste of playoff action this year.

Defenseman Gerry Burke and forward Ryan Donally were dispatched to the Las Vegas Wranglers in time to join them for ECHL Kelly Cup playoff opener in Vegas vs. the Stockton Thunder.

Flames coach Ryan McGill said the two players would have joined the Wranglers after this weekend, so the Flames opted to let them go early.

“Might as well do the right thing,’’ he said of helping the ECHL affiliate.

Burke had been a member of the Flames since Nov. 30 but started his season in Las Vegas, scoring three goals and four assists. He had six assists and 36 penalty minutes in 45 games with the Flames

Donally played most of his season in Las Vegas around two brief stints with the Flames. He had 15 goals and 22 assists playing power forward on the Wranglers top line, plus 176 penalty minutes, in 53 ECHL games. He was scoreless with 21 penalty minutes in 10 games here.

Las Vegas led the National Conference with a 47-13-5-7 record.

Backup plan

The Flames will travel with a 19-man contingent for the weekend finales in San Antonio.

In case of an injury, McGill said he does have a “backup’’ plan.

“I’ll sign Scottie to a Player Tryout Agreement,’’ the coach joked of his assistant, Scott Allen, a veteran of 11 minor league playing campaigns, the last in 1997.

“He can play all six positions — he’s played goalie before,’’ McGill said.

Krog named MVP

League scoring leader Jason Krog of Chicago has been named the Most Valuable Player of the AHL by vote of coaches and media.

Entering Friday’s action, Krog led the league with 66 assists and 104 points for John Anderson’s Western Division-winning Wolves.

Other year-end award winners include Hartford’s Andrew Hutchinson as the league’s top defenseman, Albany’s Michael Leighton as top goaltender, and Providence coach Scott Gordon as coach of the year after his Bruins clinched the Magregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the regular season points leader.

Summary

Iowa 2 1 1 1    —    5

Quad-Cities 1 2 1 0    —    4

First period — 1, Tyler Shelast, I, 1 (Chris Lee, Perttu Lindgren) PP, 3:19; 2, Chris Conner, I, 9 (Dan Jancevski, Tyler Ludwig) 3:50; 3, Cam Cunning, Q-C, 10 (Krys Kolanos, Brad Cole) PP, 10:27. Penalties: Raymond Sawada, I (fighting major) 1:30; Gord Baldwin, Q-C (fighting major) 1:30; Richard Clune, I (fighting major) 2:02; Brad Cole, Q-C (fighting major) 2:02; Sawada, I (fighting major) 7:28; Brett Palin, Q-C (fighting major) 7:28; Jussi Timonen, I (tripping) 8:50; Tomi Maki, Q-C (tripping) 13:59; Tim Hambly, Q-C (holding) 18:30.

Second period — 4, Tomi Maki, Q-C, 8 (Hambly) SH, 3:31; 5, Marty Sertich, I, 25 (James Neal) 11:56; 6, Kris Chucko, Q-C, 15 (David Van der Gulik, Brandon Prust) PP, 14:27; Penalties: Derek Couture, Q-C (holding) 2:33; Timonen, I (hooking) 13:59; Tim Ramholt, Q-C (tripping) 17:07.

Third period — 7, Tom Wandell, I, 9 (Timonen, Janos Vas) 14:00; 8, Chucko, Penalties: Trevor Ludwig, I (holding) 1:49; Konstantin Pushkarev, I (fighting major) 8:15; Couture, Q-C (boarding major, fighting major, 10 minute misconduct) 8:15; Clune, I (boarding) 10:56; Neal, I (hooking) 14:45.

Overtime — 9, Sertich, I, 26 (Sawada, Jancevski) 1:54. Penalties: None.

Shots — Iowa 8-10-4-1-25. Q-C: 8-10-6-1-35

Power-play opportunities — Iowa 1-7. Q-C: 3-5.

Penalties: Iowa: 10-32, Q-C: 11-37.

Goaltenders — Iowa: Matt Climie (W, 1-3-1) 35 shots, 31 saves; Q-C: Matt Keetley (L, 10-8-3) 25 shots, 20 saves.

Attendance: 4,612.

Referee: David Banfield. Linesmen: Pete Cichy and Al Stensland.