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Phoenix downs Calgary for fourth straight win

Nov 18, 2010 - 6:05 AM Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Martin Hanzal had a goal and an assist and Ilya Bryzgalov stood tall in net with 39 saves as Phoenix downed Calgary, 3-1, at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Wojtek Wolski and Lauri Korpikoski both added a goal for the Coyotes, who have won a season-high four in a row.

Rene Bourque netted the only goal for the Flames, who have dropped two straight and seven out of their last eight. Miikka Kiprusoff turned away 28 shots in defeat.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Flames acquired defenseman Anton Babchuk and forward Tom Kostopoulos from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Brett Sutter and defenseman Ian White.

"Our puck play wasn't very good and Bryzgalov bailed us out in the first," Phoenix head coach Dave Tippet said. His netminder made 16 stops in the opening period.

Wolski opened the scoring at 7:13 of the second period. He hit the Calgary blue line, flipped the puck off defenseman Cory Sarich, batted it down and got to the loose disc first. He then wristed a shot top shelf from below the left circle for his second goal of the season.

About five minutes later, Radim Vrbata unloaded a slapshot from top of right circle that was stopped by Kiprusoff, but it trickled through the crease and Hanzal was able to jab it home for a 2-0 lead.

Calgary finally got on the board with 3:52 remaining in the game when Brendan Morrison stole the puck behind the Coyotes net and tried to stuff it home from the right side. Bryzgalov made the save but the puck squirted to the left doorstep for Bourque, who lifted the puck over the prone netminder.

On a very similar play with just over two minutes left, Niklas Hagman missed the potential tying goal when he hit the outside of the net near the left post.

The Flames pulled Kiprusoff with just over a minute to go and Bryzgalov was able to deny Bourque from point-blank range with 30 seconds to go to keep the visitors in the lead.

Korpikoski's empty-net goal with 7.5 ticks left sewed up the victory.

"We needed urgency but we never generated enough offense, enough around the net, until the final five or six minutes," Calgary coach Duane Sutter said.

Game Notes

Phoenix has claimed the first two meetings in the four-game season series... Bryzgalov evened his career record against the Flames at 7-7-1...Hanzal potted his first goal in 11 career matchups against Calgary...Kiprusoff is 12-8-2 in 22 meetings with Phoenix...The Flames had scored first in 10 of their previous 12 games before Wednesday.