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Flames rally past Oilers in SO

Mar 27, 2011 - 6:00 AM Edmonton, AB (Sports Network) - Alex Tanguay scored the lone goal of the shootout to finish off the Calgary Flames' much-needed 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place.

Calgary scored three goals in the third period to force overtime and won for just the second time in eight games to pull within one point of the Chicago Blackhawks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Jarome Iginla had two power-play goals and an assist while Steve Staios netted the equalizer late in the third for the Flames, who got 17 saves from Miikka Kiprusoff.

Ryan Jones, Colin Fraser, Teemu Hartikainen and Magnus Paajarvi all scored for the Oilers, who dropped their ninth straight game.

Devan Dubnyk made 27 saves in defeat, but couldn't stop Tanguay's shot in the opening round of the shootout.

Jordan Eberle, Jones and Hartikainen all failed to get one past Kiprusoff, giving Flames the critical two points in the provincial battle.

"We played so well for so long and then definitely took the foot off the gas pedal and let a good team back into it," Eberle said.

Jones was in the right spot to punch in a rebound 3:31 into the third frame for a seemingly comfortable 4-1 lead.

Iginla brought the Flames within two when his wrister got through a screen at 5:55, and Curtis Glencross' 23rd goal of the season made it 4-3 with 7:51 remaining.

Late in the game, the puck squirted out from the back of the net and onto the stick of Staios, whose snap shot snuck past Dubnyk for the dramatic tie with just 1:55 on the clock. Staios played seven-plus seasons for Edmonton before getting traded to Calgary last season.

"It was our season on the line going into that period and we knew we had to find a way some how we gutted it out," Staios said. "We've got a veteran team here and we found a way to do it."

Calgary was whistled for its first penalty with 42.5 seconds left in overtime, but the Oilers failed to register a shot. The Flames only had one shot in the extra session.

Paajarvi tallied the only goal of the opening period at 15:24.

Calgary tied things on the power play, as Iginla's slap shot from above the right circle got by Dubnyk 8:22 into the second period.

The Oilers regained the lead just 59 second later on Hartikainen's first career goal.

The Flames were awarded a power play late in the middle stanza, but Mikael Backlund's giveaway resulted in a breakaway the other way for Fraser, who found Kiprusoff's five hole with just 26 seconds remaining.

Game Notes

Iginla has 36 goals on the season...Hartikainen was playing in his fifth career game...Flames head equipment manager Mark "Depo" Depasquale worked his 1,000th career NHL game...It was Fraser's first goal in 50 games...If the Flames miss the playoffs, it will be the first time both they and the Oilers missed the postseason in consecutive seasons...Calgary has won the last four meetings...The Oilers are in the midst of their worst slide since a 13-game skid from Dec. 31-Jan. 30 of last season.