CALGARY, Alberta — Mikkel Boedker scored the winning goal and added an assist as the Phoenix Coyotes beat Calgary 4-3 and snapped the Flames’ seven-game, home-winning streak Saturday night.
Boedker scored off a breakaway at 6:48 of the third period with Phoenix leading 3-2 after a prolonged stretch of pressure in the Phoenix end.
During the frantic sequence, Boedker picked up Ken Klee’s clearing attempt then outwaited goalie Miikka Kiprusoff as he cut across the top of the goal for his eighth of the season.
Calgary responded just over a minute later when Mike Cammalleri deflected Dion Phaneuf’s slap shot past Ilya Bryzgalov for his second goal of the night to cut the lead to 4-3.
However, Calgary could not get the tying goal despite finishing the game with a 32-26 edge in shots.
Trailing 3-1 after 40 minutes, Calgary rallied with Matthew Lombardi’s fourth goal at 3:17 on a slap shot from the blue line.
David Hale, Peter Mueller, and Olli Jokinen also scored for Phoenix, which has won four of five.
Calgary lost in regulation for just the second time in their last 16 games (11-2-3).
Leading 2-1, Phoenix restored a two-goal cushion at 17:52 of the second period on a goal Kiprusoff would want back. From the corner and behind the goal line, Jokinen flung the puck toward the goal and it went in off Kiprusoff.
Calgary got on the scoreboard at 14:56 of the second when Cammalleri scored on a shot that Bryzgalov didn’t see because Jarome Iginla was planted in front of him at the top of the crease.
Cammalleri’s 18th goal tied Iginla for the team lead.
A key sequence came in the opening minutes of the second period.
Immediately after killing off a high-sticking penalty to Mueller, Phoenix broke in a 2-on-1 rush with Mueller leading the way.
Breaking in with Enver Lisin against rookie defenseman Adam Pardy, Mueller’s pass attempt was knocked down by Pardy, but the puck came back to Mueller, who fired a shot past Kiprusoff.
Phoenix opened the scoring at 8:17 of the first period. With Todd Fedoruk screening Kiprusoff, Hale wristed a shot toward the net that slipped through the pads of Kiprusoff.
It was the second goal of the season for Hale, who in November scored his first NHL goal snapping a league-record drought of 230 games without a goal to start a career.
Iginla fought Hale after going 40 games without a bout.
Phoenix killed off both Calgary power-plays and has gone four games without surrendering a man-advantage goal. The Coyotes were 0-for-2.
Notes: Phoenix has won three of four in Calgary. … Calgary RW
Todd Bertuzzi (hip) missed his fourth game. … Including playoffs, it was Iginla’s 46th career fight. … Phoenix improved to 9-2 when leading after the first period. … Through 44 games, the Flames are seven points ahead of last season’s pace.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
