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Iginla makes impressive return as Flames post another home win

Feb 4, 2007 - 7:32 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- Jarome Iginla made up for lost time.

After an absence of nearly a month, Iginla returned to the lineup and recorded a goal and two assists as the Calgary Flames posted their seventh straight home win, a 6-2 triumph over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Sidelined since suffering a sprained right MCL against Florida on January 4, Iginla made his presence felt early. The Calgary captain opened the scoring at 11:55 with his 24th goal of the season and set up defenseman Robyn Regehr's first tally in 62 games only 19 seconds later for a 2-0 lead.

"I felt pretty good," Iginla said. "It felt pretty good to be out there. The puck felt a little square at times, but it was good to be out there and back playing."

Iginla also assisted on Kristian Huselius' 22nd goal midway through the second period as the Flames opened a 5-1 bulge.

Regehr also picked up two assists in the first session to match a career high with three points. The blue-liner, who left the game late in the third after crashing hard into the end boards, also notched three points - all assists - on February 6, 2006 against San Jose.

"We (defensemen) need to shoot more," Regehr said. "We can't just rely on Dion Phaneuf to get all the shots. To be involved offensively, you need to get the puck to the net."

Regehr did not believe he would miss any time due to injury.

"I was just going back for the puck and the guy (Gilbert Brule) tried to hit me, which I don't think was right," he said. "Luckily, I got my hands up. I'm just a little sore, but I should be good to go (tomorrow against Vancouver)."

Huselius added a pair of assists, with his first extending his points streak to 11 games.

Daymond Langkow and defensemen Mark Giordano and Rhett Warrener also scored for Calgary, which went 4-for-10 on the power play and has earned at least one point in each of its last six games (4-0-2).

"I think when you give up power-play goals, it's a reflection of the work by your key guys," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. "When you give up that many power-play goals, it's usually a combination of the work ethic of the penalty-killers and goaltending."

Blue-liner Rostislav Klesla and Jason Chimera tallied for the Blue Jackets, who have lost two straight following a four-game winning streak.

The Flames, who posted a franchise-record 10-game home winning run from November 7-December 26, grabbed the lead while on the power play midway through the first. Regehr's shot from the left point was blocked, but Craig Conroy picked up the puck in the low slot and made a backhand pass to Iginla, who beat goaltender Ty Conklin with a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle.

Iginla was glad to have Conroy - who was acquired from the Kings on Monday - back as a linemate. The two played together when Calgary reached the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004, but Conroy signed as a free agent with Los Angeles that summer.

"It feels like he was barely gone," Iginla said. "Time flies like that. He made a real nice pass on the first one, he had it in front and he made a backhand pass to me. Fortunately, it went in. I appreciated that."

Moments later, Conklin was run over by teammate Adam Foote, allowing Regehr to fire the puck into a vacant net from the left point with 7:46 remaining for a two-goal advantage. It was the defenseman's first tally since March 23 against St. Louis.

"I didn't know (the net) was that open," Regehr said. "My first thought was just to get it past their forward trying to block it, and then I saw Jarome there waving at it, trying to tip it in."

Giordano tallied with just under five minutes to go in the period with a wrister from the right faceoff dot, and Langkow scored on a one-timer from low in the right circle 30 seconds into the middle session for a 4-0 cushion.

Klesla answered 33 seconds later with his third goal in five games, but Huselius restored the four-goal lead at 10:58 after receiving a feed from Iginla, who mistakenly was given the puck in the high slot by Columbus' David Vyborny.

Conklin was replaced shortly after that goal by Czech Tomas Popperle, who allowed one goal on eight shots in his NHL debut.

"I know I faced a lot of shots near the end on the PK, but I know I can play and I want to play here," said Popperle, a fifth-round pick in 2005. "For me, it was a good experience. It's difficult to play in the NHL. I know I have to work hard and hope I get another chance."

Dan Fritsche extended his points streak to six games with an assist on Chimera's goal with 3 1/2 minutes left in the second, drawing the Blue Jackets within 5-2. But Warrener sealed the victory during a two-man advantage late in the third, firing a wrister from the top of the right circle that went in off defenseman Anders Eriksson's stick with 2:08 to go for his 100th career point.

Calgary's Tony Amonte did his best to get on the scoresheet but was unable to succeed. Less than two minutes into the game, the veteran kicked in the puck while knocking the net off its moorings, forcing a long video review that ultimately resulted in the goal being waved off.

In the final stages of the third, Amonte again believed he had scored, but he was ruled to have tipped in the puck with a high stick.