Bruins 2 - 1 Flames
Final
  for this game

Bruins top Flames in Iginla's return to Calgary

Dec 11, 2013 - 7:07 AM Calgary, AB (SportsNetwork.com) - The Boston Bruins made Jarome Iginla's return to Calgary a triumphant one, scoring a pair of goals late in the third period to rally for a 2-1 victory over the Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Reilly Smith potted the game-winner with 4:33 left to play, a mere 98 seconds after David Krejci recorded the equalizer with the Bruins on the power play.

Iginla, the Flames' all-time leader in goals (525), points (1,095) and games played (1,219), faced the club he spent 16 highly productive seasons with for the first time since Calgary traded its longtime captain to Pittsburgh during last April's trade deadline. The revered 36-year-old received a warm and rousing ovation from the home crowd during postgame introductions.

"It brought back a lot of great memories," Iginla said of his return.

Tuukka Rask stopped 26-of-27 shots to help Boston to its third straight win and fifth in six games.

Jiri Hudler had the lone goal for Calgary, which received 22 saves from Reto Berra in a losing cause.

After sleepwalking through most of the first 2 1/2 periods, the Bruins' offense finally came to life while down 1-0 with under seven minutes left in the third.

A delay of game penalty to Calgary's Joe Colborne with 7:23 to go helped draw Boston even, with Krejci crowding the net to re-direct Torey Krug's blast from the point on the resulting man advantage.

With the goal giving them renewed life, the Bruins went ahead shortly afterward on an outstanding individual effort from Smith, who got around Flames defenseman T.J. Brodie while skating hard down the right wing before lifting the puck over the shoulder of Berra.

Calgary managed just one shot the rest of the way, but controlled the action for nearly the entirety of the opening two periods.

"I think the best way to describe this is a lack of maturity," Flames head coach Bob Hartley said of his team allowing Boston to get back in the game in the third.

The Flames owned a decided 22-9 advantage in shots through the first 40 minutes, but Rask kept it close with several key saves over that time frame.

Hudler was able to solve the Boston netminder and break a scoreless deadlock with 5:17 left in the second period. Receiving a puck chipped up the left boards by Sven Baertschi, the veteran forward sent a well-placed wrister that landed under Rask's glove and into the net.

Game Notes

Iginla led the Flames in scoring for 11 consecutive seasons from 2000-01 to 2011-12, the longest stretch by any player in league history ... Bruins forward Shawn Thornton sat out a second straight game while awaiting Friday's suspension hearing for an illegal hit on Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik during last Saturday's matchup with the Penguins ... Hudler has two goals and three assists over a four-game point streak ... Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk returned to action after missing two straight games with back spasms ... Boston center Gregory Campbell skated in his 600th career NHL game.






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