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Kiprusoff helps Flames beat Kings

Dec 18, 2009 - 6:54 AM CALGARY, Alberta(AP) -- After a night off, Miikka Kiprusoff was back in top form for the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

Kiprusoff made 15 of his 34 saves in the third period to help Calgary beat the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Kings 2-1 on Thursday night.

"Overall, we played a really good game. That's what we needed," Kiprusoff said. "We've had some tough times lately and we know we had to bounce back. We're going to be home for a few games now so this is a big win."

Kiprusoff was rested Tuesday night in St. Louis after being peppered with 81 shots in his two previous starts.

"Right away from the start we were ready, like we should be every game," Kiprusoff said. "A couple guys had great hits early. It was a good team win."

Dion Phaneuf and Nigel Dawes scored for Calgary.

Phaneuf scored a power-play goal in the final second of the first period, and Dawes gave the Flames a 2-0 lead at 1:02 of the third period.

Los Angeles' Corey Elkins scored his first NHL goal midway through the third.

"It's an amazing feeling," Elkins said after his second NHL game. "It's unfortunate that we couldn't have also got a win to go with it."

With 2.9 seconds remaining in the first, Olli Jokinen beat Anze Kopitar off the faceoff and drew the puck back to Jarome Iginla on the power play. The Calgary captain quickly slid the puck back to Phaneuf at the blue line, and the defenseman one-timed a slap shot past goalie Jonathan Quick. After a video review, the goal stood as Phaneuf's seventh of the season and first in 20 games.

"Olli did a great job winnning the draw and Iggy made a great pass putting it right in an area where I could get it off," Phaneuf said.

Kings coach Terry Murray was upset with his team's coverage on the play.

"If we just close quickly on Phaneuf, don't even hesitate, go right to him right away, there is no shot at the net," Murray said. "You can look at that and say, 'Man, with seven-tenths of a second left, that's a hard one to swallow."'

In the third, Kings defenseman Alex Martinez had his clearing attempt intercepted and the Flames eventually worked the puck in deep to Daymond Langkow, who set up Dawes for a one-timer for his 10th goal of the season.

NOTES: Los Angeles dropped to 8-2-1 in its last 11 games. The Kings have eight days off before resuming play in Phoenix on Dec. 26. ... Quick finished with 22 saves. ... Los Angeles was 0 for 3 on the power play. ... Calgary D Adam Pardy (wrist) returned after missing three games.