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CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- Kevyn Adams should have no trouble
remembering the first victory in Columbus Blue Jackets history.
Adams scored twice Thursday night to lead the expansion Blue
Jackets to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.
|  | | Blue Jackets center Kevyn Adams, left, took some hits as well Thursday vs. Calgary. |
"It's a huge win for a lot of important reasons," said Adams,
who spent parts of the past three seasons with the Toronto Maple
Leafs. "It will give the guys in here some confidence, it's an
exciting night for the organization itself."
It was also a big night for Columbus coach Dave King, who was in
Calgary as coach of Canada's national team for nine years and then
head coach of the Flames for three.
"For me personally, getting our first win here in Calgary is
really a thrill," King said.
Adams broke a 2-2 tie 4:13 into the third period. After Phil
Housley and Marc Savard both failed on clearing attempts, the puck
bounced to Adams in front of the Calgary net and he beat a sprawled
goalie Mike Vernon during a scramble.
"Kevyn really played a strong game," King said. "Great
faceoff work, really good defensive work, then to score two goals
for Kevyn is really quite a thrill."
Columbus started the season with back-to-back losses at home
before heading to Calgary to begin a three-game road trip.
"It's a real important win for us because the longer you go
without one, the more the guys can begin to feel the pressure of
it," King said.
Also scoring for Columbus was 18-year-old defenseman Rostislav
Klesla, the first goal for the fourth pick in last June's entry
draft.
Jarome Iginla and Clarke Wilm scored for the Flames, who lost
all three games in a season-opening homestand.
"We've got to come out and set the tone a lot better than we
did," Flames coach Don Hay said. "When you're hesitant like we
were tonight, you don't do the kinds of things you need to do like
being physical, more assertive, and getting after people."
Calgary had a great opportunity to tie it when the Flames got a
56-second, two-man advantage midway through the third. The Flames,
though, managed only one shot on goal during the power play.
Columbus outshot Calgary 27-21.
"We're going through a tough time right now in getting our
confidence but we've got to work our way through it," Hay said.
Calgary rallied from a two-goal deficit, tying it off strange
bounces.
Iginla carried the puck down left wing and as he tried to slide
a pass across the front of the net, the puck deflected in off the
skate of Mattias Timander at 10:10 of the first period to make it
2-1.
The Flames tied it 2-2 at 13:49 of the second. Dave Lowry was
hauled to the ice by Timander and as he slid toward the Columbus
net, a rebound off the pads of Ron Tugnutt bounced off Lowry's shin
pads and off Clarke Wilm into the goal.
Columbus came out flying, taking a 2-0 lead before Calgary
registered its first shot.
Klesla opened the scoring at 2:25 when his shot from the blue
line beat a screened Vernon.
Less than four minutes later, the Blue Jackets made it 2-0.
Jamie Heward's initial shot was stopped but neither of the Flames
defensemen picked up Adams as he cut through the slot, collected
the rebound and tucked the puck in behind Vernon.
Game notes
Three days after ending his holdout by signing a three-year
contract, Marc Savard returned to the Calgary lineup by centering a
line with Jarome Iginla and rookie Oleg Saprykin. ... Calgary also
was the first team beaten by the San Jose Sharks when they entered
the league in 1991.
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