VANCOUVER -- Calgary coach Brent Sutter was crying foul at Canucks fans after the Flames beat Vancouver in a shootout Saturday night.
Sutter said someone in the sellout crowd of 18,810 at General Motors Place was directing a laser pointer at goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff throughout the game in an effort to distract him.
"It was going on all night," said Sutter. "It was brought to the attention of the refs and security, and it's hard to believe that can go on for 60 minutes in a hockey game and it's not located and not found."
A laser pointer, used frequently as a teaching and presentation tool, flashes a red beam of light at a target to highlight it. The effort was not especially helpful, because the Canucks were outshot 40-21.
Kiprusoff managed to make one more save than Vancouver counterpart Roberto Luongo in the shootout as the Flames moved into sole possession of first in the Northwest, a point ahead of the Canucks.
"It was a distraction to our goaltender and security did mention they were trying to locate it, but I heard after the game it was spotted on TV where it was at," said Sutter. "So it's too bad it went 60 minutes of a hockey game and never was rectified."
Kiprusoff, who received medical treatment after the game, was not immediately available for comment.
