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Joseph, Iginla reach milestones as Flames top Coyotes

Mar 2, 2008 - 6:27 AM By Jonathan Dalton PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) -- Curtis Joseph reached another milestone Saturday in Glendale, but this time, it was against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Joseph made 16 saves for his 448th career victory, moving him into fourth place on the all-time list, as the Calgary Flames beat the Coyotes, 3-1.

Captain Jarome Iginla also accomplished an impressive feat, tying Theoren Fleury for the franchise's all-time lead in goals at 364. He scored two tallies and set up another in this one.

"It's a cool feeling," Iginla said. "I've been extremely blessed to play in Calgary and play with some great players. It's a thrill."

Defenseman Rhett Warrener added his first goal of the season for the Flames (34-23-9), who pulled even with the idle Minnesota Wild (36-24-5) for the Northwest Division lead.

Captain Shane Doan scored his 20th for the Coyotes (33-28-5), who fell three points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"We have to be a little hungrier, and overall, we have to be a little harder to play against," Doan said.

Joseph, signed as a free agent by Calgary on January 16, won 50 games in two seasons with the Coyotes to move from 10th place on the all-time list to fifth.

"At this point in my career, I'm really enjoying it," Joseph said. "I'm enjoying every day, the camaraderie and everything about the NHL. This is the greatest job in the world, so why not savor it?"

Joseph rarely was tested by his former team, facing just 11 shots over the first two periods. In the second, Phoenix went more than 11 minutes without recording a shot on goal.

"We seemed to come into the game by just standing around, waiting to see what the opposition was going to do," Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky said. "We started the game on our heels. Work ethic and effort weren't there in the first 10 minutes of the hockey game, and you're not going to win against a team like that."

Warrener gave the Flames a 1-0 lead just 83 seconds into the game, when he one-timed a pass from Kristian Huselius past goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov from the left point.

Iginla made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 5:46 of the first on a quick wrist shot from the right faceoff circle.

"They skated out like the Russian Red Army team," Coyotes All-Star defenseman Ed Jovanovski said.

Iginla added another tally with 8:41 left in the contest, his 40th goal of the season, to give Calgary a 3-1 advantage.

"That was a big goal," Flames coach Mike Keenan said. "We were getting chances, but we couldn't get it behind their goaltender."

Doan had pulled Phoenix within 2-1 with 7:58 remaining in the second following a lazy clearing attempt by Joseph. Martin Hanzal was the first to reach the puck along the boards behind the net and chipped the puck to Doan, who skated along the end line and scored on a wrist shot.

But Doan's goal was in doubt because of a play that had taken place more than a minute earlier, when Bryzgalov badly misplayed the puck. The Russian netminder dropped to the ice to stop a bouncing puck, only to see it slide right between his pads.

Jovanovski cleared the puck away from the goal line, but the play prompted a video review at the next whistle, which was blown after Doan's goal.

After a three-minute delay, replay officials ruled the puck did not cross the goal line completely, allowing Doan's goal to stand in the process and giving the Coyotes' right wing his eighth straight 20-goal season.

"Certain angles show there was daylight, so I'm not sure how (the referee) interpreted that one," Keenan said.

Bryzgalov turned aside 25 shots.