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Iginla scores twice; Flames win 10th straight at home

Dec 13, 2006 - 4:42 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- Jarome Iginla was able to give as well as receive to help the Calgary Flames prolong their home success.

Iginla had two goals and two assists and Alex Tanguay added a tally and set up two others as the Flames set a franchise record with their 10th straight home win, a 5-2 triumph over the Minnesota Wild.

The Flames' captain and former Art Ross Trophy winner, Iginla tied career highs for points in a game and by scoring a goal in six straight contests. He has seven tallies and six assists during that stretch.

"We're finding ways to be more offensive without giving up goals," Iginla said. "Every line is finding ways to create chances without giving many up. That changes the nail-biters at little bit."

Iginla snapped a 1-1 tie with 56 seconds left in the first period from the slot when he shot Daymond Langkow's setup pass between goaltender Manny Fernandez's pads.

A three-time All-Star, Iginla gave Calgary a 3-1 advantage just 51 seconds into the second session with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle that deflected off the left goalpost for his team-leading 18th tally.

"To have the late first-period goal and even the second-period goal was a huge one," Iginla said.

"Jarome was on top of his game tonight and it felt like we weren't on top of ours," Wild left wing Brian Rolston said. "We stood back and let them control the game from beginning to end and there's no excuse for that."

The Flames struck again nearly three minutes later as Iginla made a cross-ice feed to defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who netted his seventh goal inside the right post for a 4-1 edge. The tally prompted the Wild to replace Fernandez with rookie Niklas Backstrom.

Iginla, who passed Joe Nieuwendyk for seventh place in franchise history in career assists (304), found Langkow for a one-timer in the slot that went into the top left corner of the net with 16 seconds remaining in the middle session.

"He was on fire tonight," Langkow said. "That one pass he made to me was behind the back, no look and it was right on my stick. Things really clicked for us tonight and hopefully we can keep it going."

"It's certainly fun to watch," Tanguay added. "But I knew what he was capable of doing from watching him in the past, especially in 2004 (when the Flames won the Western Conference title). ... He was a man on a mission. He said before this year he wanted to have a good year and he's certainly off to a good start."

The trio of Iginla, Tanguay and Langkow combined for nine points to help Calgary defeat Minnesota for the seventh time in nine encounters and avenge Thursday's 3-2 shootout loss.

"They are playing well in their building right now and they find a way to come back," Wild left wing Pascal Dupuis said.

Tanguay opened the scoring with his seventh goal and Miikka Kiprusoff made 24 saves for Calgary, which was won five of its last six.

Last season's Vezina Trophy winner, Kiprusoff raised his career record against Minnesota to 9-3-1 with his 15th victory of the campaign.

"When they were coming with their big push (in the first period), we had Kipper making the saves and all of a sudden we were able to get one (goal) at the end of the period," Iginla said.

Dupuis scored a shorthanded goal on a first-period breakaway, Todd White added his seventh tally and Backstrom made 15 saves for Minnesota after Fernandez was pulled.

"We weren't skating," Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. "It was a matter of time. You could see it. (Calgary) is a good team, they skate. They work and if you don't work and skate, you have no chance.

"We have two guys that played hard. One is (Brent) Burns and the other one is (Pierre-Marc) Bouchard. Besides that, it's not enough."