Iginla leads Flames past Sharks
Posted: Sun Feb 25 1:58 AM
Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Jarome Iginla scored two goals and added two assists to help the Calgary Flames to a 7-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Pengrowth Saddledome.
Matthew Lombardi had a goal and an assist and Alex Tanguay and Roman Hamrlik each added three helpers for the Flames, who had lost three of four coming into the game.
Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 33 shots in the win for Calgary, which with 73 points holds the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Mike Grier had a goal and an assist and Evgeni Nabokov was shelled for six goals on 22 shots for the Sharks, who had won their previous two games.
San Jose currently resides in fifth place in the Western Conference with 77 points and is three points behind Anaheim for first place in the Pacific Division.
The score was tied, 4-4, heading into the third period, but Calgary grabbed the lead just 34 seconds into the frame when Tanguay chased down the puck at the right circle and centered it to Iginla, who one-timed it into the right corner.
The Flames added some insurance with 3:05 to go when Iginla fought off a checker and sent a pass from the left boards to the slot where Langkow one- timed it over the glove of Nabokov for a 6-4 lead.
Marcus Nilson's empty-net goal accounted for the final score.
The Flames scored twice in the first period and took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
On the power play, Kristian Huselius slid a pass from the left circle to the right where Dion Phaneuf snapped a wrist shot over the glove of Nabokov just 5:26 in.
A little over two minutes later, Lombardi sent a wrist shot on net that Nabokov saved, but Daymond Langkow tucked in the rebound.
The second period saw an offensive outburst with a total of six goals being scored by the two clubs.
San Jose got things going when Mark Bell fired a shot from the low right side that Kiprusoff saved, but Matthew Carle was in front of the net and banged in the rebound 4:36 in.
Just over a minute later, Grier fed a backhand pass from the left circle to the low slot where Joe Pavelski tapped it in for his second goal of the year to tie the game.
San Jose took its first lead of the game, 3-2, when Grier skated in on a breakaway, deked to the backhand and slid the disc into the net for a shorthanded goal with 4:49 left in the frame.
Calgary immediately answered as Iginla tipped in a point shot from Hamrlik just eight seconds after Grier's goal.
The Sharks again took the lead when Kyle McClaren picked up an errant clearing attempt and blasted a shot from the right circle into the left corner of the net with 1:04 left in the second.
However, the Flames again had the answer as Lombardi's wrister on a breakaway beat Nabokov between the pads with 33 second left in the second.
Game Notes
Calgary plays in Phoenix on Monday...San Jose returns home to face Anaheim on Monday...San Jose went 1-for-7 on the power play while Calgary scored on two of its four chances.
