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Aliu scores twice as Flames end season with win over Ducks

Apr 7, 2012 - 11:38 PM Calgary, AB (Sports Network) - Akim Aliu scored his first two goals to help the Calgary Flames finish the season on a high note with a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Jay Bouwmeester added a goal and an assist and Lee Stempniak and Anton Babchuk scored the other goals for the Flames (37-29-16), who closed out the season with two straight wins but will miss the playoffs for a third straight time. Henrik Karlsson stopped 23 shots for the win.

"The young guys provided some energy for group and into the locker room and it's contagious," said Calgary head coach Brent Sutter. "The young kids came in and played with excitement and enthusiasm."

Bobby Ryan scored twice for the Ducks (34-36-12), who dropped four of five to finish the season last in the Pacific Division. Jonas Hiller gave up all five goals on 23 shots in the loss.

"I don't want to do this again where you play these meaningless games," said Anaheim head coach Bruce Boudreau. "We didn't have a very good start and when you don't have a very good start and you're playing catch-up for the whole year, it's tough."

Aliu scored the first goal ever for a Nigerian-born player at the four-minute mark of the first when Michael Cammalleri pulled up at the left circle and fired a pass to the right where Aliu redirected it home.

The Ducks tied the game at the 13:33 mark of the second on the power play when Ryan blasted a one-timer home from the left point with Teemu Selanne providing a screen in front for his 30th of the season.

However, the Flames scored twice in the final minute of the second when Bouwmeester's one-timer from the slot beat Hiller at 19:17 and Babchuk scored 25 seconds later on a blast from the right point for a 3-1 lead.

Aliu made it a 4-1 game 7:24 into the third when a Bouwmeester wrister from the high slot hit off Aliu in front and Stempniak scored with 2:42 to play on a wrister from the left circle.

Ryan stuffed the puck in from in front in the final minute to cap the scoring.

Game Notes

Ryan has reached 30 goals in each of the past four seasons...The home team won all four games in the series this season...Anaheim went 1-for-5 on the power play while Calgary was 0-for-3.