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Kiprusoff helps Flames stop slide, top Blues

Dec 5, 2007 - 6:06 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- The Calgary Flames really needed this one.

Miikka Kiprusoff made 21 saves and rookie Dustin Boyd scored the eventual game-winning goal as the Flames snapped a four-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.

Calgary had lost 11 of its previous 15 games since the beginning of November and fell into last place of the Northwest Division.

"We haven't been getting that many breaks lately, even though I thought we've been playing pretty good," Calgary's Marcus Nilson said. "It's not like we've been playing awful. We need to tighten up defensively and we did that tonight."

Coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, this contest did not get off to a good start for Kiprusoff and the Flames.

The Blues took an early 1-0 lead when Lee Stempniak notched his fourth goal of season just 36 seconds into the game. Stempniak has now tallied in each of his last three contests.

Kiprusoff shook off the early jitters and did not allow a goal the rest of the way. He turned aside 10 shots in the first period, just two in the next, and nine more in the third.

"We played good defensively," Kiprusoff said. "I'm happy (about) how I played, but I'm really happy how we played as a team."

Calgary's offense really came on strong in the second period, unleashing 20 shots in the session and taking control of the game.

"We had 17 players out of the 20 dressed that played below average," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "When you have that many players performing below average, you don't have a chance."

Hannu Toivonen made a glove save on Daymond Langkow's slap shot, but the 23-year-old netminder could not hang on to the puck. Nilson hustled in and slapped the loose puck past Toivonen before slamming into the goal to tie the game at 1-1 at 8:21 of the second period.

"It was a huge goal for us and a huge goal for him," Boyd said. "He needed one of those, and the team needed one of those."

Nilson, who now has two goals on the season, seemed to be favoring his left leg when he skated off the ice after his tally. It appeared that he banged the leg sliding into the post.

"I was stuck in the net and my leg was hurting," Nilson said. "But that's OK as long as the puck goes in."

Calgary grabbed a 2-1 lead with 2:56 left in the middle session when Boyd scored from behind the goal line. After corralling the puck with his skate to the right of the net, Boyd fired a shot off the back of Toivonen that bounced into the goal.

"I'll take any bounce I can get," Boyd said. "(Alex) Tanguay made a great pass, it just went off my skate and over the post. I managed to pick it up and tried to bank it in off him."

It was the 20-year-old Boyd's first goal in six games this season and third career.

"Hannu played good for us," Stempniak said. "I think we had a pretty strong start to the game. The second period started and they took it to us."

After a St. Louis turnover, Kristian Huselius added an insurance goal with 93 seconds remaining in the third period to provide the final margin. He skated in on a breakaway and beat Toivonen between the pads for his ninth tally of the season.

Toivonen, who was a surprise start after Manny Legace injured his knee prior to the game, stopped 34 of the 37 shots he faced.

"Hannu had a solid game in goal for us," Murray said. "He made some big saves and I give the Flames credit."