The Game That Should Have Been

Seemingly every day NHL players get put on the Injured Reserve list or are simply scratched from games due to some type of injury. That being said, this game between the Dallas Stars (6-3-6) and Calgary Flames (8-4-1) was played between two fully healthy teams (all scratches were healthy scratches).

This was a fast paced game resulting in Dallas losing 3-2 to the Flames in Overtime to send the Stars to their third straight loss.

A scoreless first period was dragged down by six penalties (four on Calgary, two on Dallas). Each team had their chances and breakaways, but neither produced any tallies.

Despite a slow start, things began to pick up in the second period. Calgary captain and former Star Jarome Iginla opened the scoring with a goal on an out of place Marty Turco, who returned to action tonight after missing the weekend games due to the flu.

Brenden Morrow failed to tie the game after being awarded a penalty shot on a tripping call by Adam Pardy.

Dallas finally got on the board early in the third after James Neal scored his team leading ninth goal of the season. Loui Eriksson added another to make it 2-1, which looked to be the game winner until Daymond Langkow scored in the final minute to send the game into overtime.

Roughly a minute into the overtime, Nicklas Grossman was whistled for delay of game despite being in the neutral zone. Calgary won the game after the ensuing face off on Iginla's second goal of the game.

"In overtime and 4-on-3, you're just trying to set up the umbrella," Iginla said after the game. "I could see Olli in front. I was thinking if I just got it by him, it could have a chance to go in. I didn't even see how it went."

Clouded by the bad call in overtime, this game was a solid goaltending match between Turco and Curtis McElhinney. No one would have predicted a low scoring game between two of the four highest scoring teams in the league.

Dallas is adapting well to the changes made by coach Mark Crawford.

"We did what we wanted to do against Calgary; we got the puck behind the defense, we really exposed the defense," Crawford said. "I thought they were on their heels the better part of the night. We generated a number of power play opportunities. I thought we were the better club in terms of chances generated by a long shot."

Dallas looks to rebound Friday night against the Vancouver Canucks (9-7-0).

*Photo and quotes from the Associated Press*