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Jarome Iginla makes history in Calgary’s 3-2 win over Nashville

Jarome Iginla

Calgary Flames’ Jarome Iginla celebrates his 30th goal this season, with his teammates during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators in Calgary, Alberta, Sunday, March 6, 2011. Iginla’s penalty shot goal in the second period, which tied the game 2-2, made the 33-year-old just the 10th player in NHL history to score 30 goals in 10 or more consecutive seasons. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jeff McIntosh)

AP

Calgary captain and superstar Jarome Iginla helped make history today. No, it wasn’t by helping the Flames beat Nashville 3-2, instead it was something more personal. By scoring on a penalty shot goal in the second period, Iginla reached the 30 goal mark for the 10th straight season, something only nine other players in NHL history have done.

Iginla joins the exclusive club with Wayne Gretzky, Darryl Sittler, Jaromir Jagr, Phil Esposito, Brett Hull, Marcel Dionne, Mike Bossy, Mike Gartner, and Jari Kurri of other players that have scored 30 or more goals in 10 or more straight seasons. With that kind of elite and hall of fame company, Iginla cements his spot in history as one of the NHL’s all-time great goal scorers.

The scary part of this is that Iginla could make a run at the record of 15 straight seasons of 30 or more held by Gartner and Jagr. Thinking back to the two seasons before Iginla started this run where he had 28 and 29 goals respectively makes you wonder just how much closer Iginla could be to making a run at that record. That’s not to say he can’t do it, but getting this level of consistent play in this era is incredible.

Iginla’s goal tied the game up with Nashville and it would be Curtis Glencross who put Calgary ahead in the third with his goal midway through the period. Miikka Kiprusoff would make it stand up through the rest of the game on his way to making 21 saves in the win. Predators goalie Pekka Rinne stopped 33 shots in the loss. Martin Erat and Ryan Suter had goals for Nashville. Mark Giordano also scored for the Flames.

Calgary jumps to fifth in the West with the win while the Predators fall into a 10th place tie with Anaheim. Fear not Predators fans, ground can be made up fast with wins. Of course, failing to win keeps you buried and the Predators have now lost six of their last eight.