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Kiprusoff, Flames stymie Canucks

Nov 30, 2008 - 7:03 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- Miikka Kiprusoff made 17 saves and helped the Calgary Flames extend their winning streak to three games with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

Daymond Langkow scored a power-play goal, while David Moss and Matthew Lombardi also tallied for the Flames, who swept their home-and-home series with the Canucks and won for the fifth time in six contests.

Calgary handed Vancouver its first regulation loss in 11 contests with a 4-3 win on Thursday.

"These division games are always huge," Moss said. "And in the Northwest, things are so close and there is such an emphasis on (getting points). We played hard tonight."

Kiprusoff was denied of his third shutout of the season when Kyle Wellwood cut Vancouver's deficit to 2-1 with his ninth tally of the season midway through the third period.

Recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League on November 22, Corey Schneider turned aside 28 shots in his NHL debut for the Canucks, who fell to 1-2-0 in three contests without injured netminder Roberto Luongo.

"It was great to get the first one under my belt," Schneider said. "I didn't get my back leg down (on the second goal), and tried to slide across. It's probably one I would like to have back. But it didn't turn out the way we wanted."

Calgary was staked to a 1-0 lead when Langkow converted passes from defenseman Dion Phaneuf and Todd Bertuzzi by firing a wrist shot from the slot past Schneider with 39 seconds left in the second.

Moss added to Calgary's lead 6:11 into the third, unleashing a wrister from the left faceoff circle.

"I thought (Schneider) played solid and kept us in the game, but they took over the in second period," Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said. "I thought he gave us a chance to win. That second goal I am sure he would like to have back.

"The power play is not working, that's pretty obvious, and we're going to have to regroup on that. Give Calgary the credit on that, they played hard."

Moss has recorded points in three of his last four games.

"Right now (Moss) has a pace to his game," Calgary coach Mike Keenan said. "He was playing with Langkow and Bertuzzi tonight and the team is coming together well defensively and they're gaining some confidence offensively."

However, Vancouver halved its deficit when Jannik Hansen slid a backhanded cross-crease pass to Wellwood, who wristed the puck over the shoulder of Kirprusoff 5 1/2 minutes later.

Lombardi secured the victory with his second goal of the season off a pass from captain Jarome Iginla with 82 seconds remaining in the game.

"I thought we got better as the game went along," Calgary defenseman Robyn Regehr said. "We had some missed opportunities later and it was good to see that we capitalized on the opportunities at the end of the second period."