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Flames withstand comeback attempt to edge Ducks

Jan 20, 2007 - 6:28 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- For a while, Miikka Kiprusoff was envisioning a record-tying shutout. In the end, he was just happy to escape with a victory.

Kiprusoff made 22 saves and fellow All-Star Dion Phaneuf had a goal and an assist as the Calgary Flames opened a three-goal lead and held on for a 3-2 triumph over the Anaheim Ducks.

Needing just one shutout to tie Dan Bouchard for the franchise record (20), Kiprusoff was on his way until the latter stages of the second period, when another All-Star made his presence felt for Anaheim.

"Kipper was great again tonight," Calgary's Stephane Yelle said. "He made some saves at the right time that kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win."

With the Flames holding a 3-0 lead, Ducks defenseman Scott Niedermayer scored a power-play goal with just under five minutes remaining in the second and reduced the deficit to one with another tally 89 seconds into the third. It was the first two-goal effort of the season and 11th career for the former Norris Trophy winner, who earlier in the day withdrew from the All-Star Game due to a fractured foot.

"What can I say?" Niedermayer said. "It's disappointing that I can't go, but obviously, the priority is the team here and to try and get better when we get back."

But Calgary's defense shut the door thereafter, allowing just five more shots, which all were turned aside by Kiprusoff.

"We scrambled back and fought at the end, which is good," Niedermayer said. "But we have to find that emotion and determination for the whole game."

Alex Tanguay and Yelle also scored for the Flames, who halted a two-game skid and improved to 19-5-0 at home.

"We weren't satisfied with our last two efforts on the road," Yelle said. "I thought we came hard in the first period, and that set the tone for the whole game. We took a couple of penalties in the offensive zone, and that could have cost us, but we managed to get the win."

Named as an All-Star replacement before the game, Andy McDonald notched two assists for Anaheim, which has lost four in a row and nine of 11.

"It's just another story of us not competing for 60 minutes," McDonald said. "For whatever reason, we didn't have that intensity early on, and it hurt us. ... To struggle like this, everyone is really down on each other. We have to regroup and get back at it after the break."

"It's pretty disappointing," Niedermayer added. "We put a stretch of hockey together that hasn't been a lot of fun. We're not doing the things that it takes to win in this league. It's a very evenly matched league and you have to come to play every night if you want to have a chance to win, and we haven't done that for a full game a whole lot lately."

Phaneuf gave Calgary a 1-0 lead just 56 seconds into the game with a power-play goal. After Matthew Lombardi won a faceoff in the right circle, Phaneuf gained control and moved just above the slot before firing a wrist shot that beat netminder Ilya Bryzgalov to the glove side.

"We knew we had to have a good start against a team that has a bunch of big guys up front with a lot of speed, and we had to be aware of a lot of those guys when they were on the ice," Phaneuf said. "It's a big win, but now we have to move on."

Originally credited to Phaneuf, the goal later was awarded to rookie David Moss, who was on the doorstep, before being given back to the sophomore blue-liner.

Tanguay made it 2-0 midway through the first before Yelle netted his second tally in as many games at 9:25 of the middle session. After grabbing a loose puck in the low slot, Yelle went to his backhand and slid it around Bryzgalov for his third of the season.

"I felt like I was in the right spots at the right time," Yelle said. "Some games it doesn't happen, but tonight, I got lucky."

Niedermayer began Anaheim's comeback attempt later in the period, wristing a shot past Kiprusoff from the left circle during a 5-on-3. Early in the third, the veteran had McDonald's pass from the right circle go in off his right skate to draw the Ducks within a goal.

"We came out hard and got the lead," said Calgary's Kristian Huselius, who recorded an assist. "I think we played well when we got the lead, but not good enough."