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Phaneuf's goal extends Flames' winning streak to four

Dec 15, 2007 - 4:24 AM RALEIGH, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Defenseman Dion Phaneuf refused to allow the Calgary Flames to suffer a letdown.

One day after an offensive eruption by his team, Phaneuf snapped a tie midway through the third period and also added an assist as the Flames skated to a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

Kristian Huselius, Dustin Boyd and captain Jarome Iginla also scored for Calgary, which provided coach Mike Keenan with his 599th career win.

"It's a big win for our team, a big step in the right direction," Phaneuf said. "And we were playing a desperate team. They were coming off a loss they weren't happy about. It was a big win for our team to be able to just keep plugging and plugging and plugging, and get the win and persevere through a tough game of back-and-forth."

The Flames extended their winning streak to three games Thursday, when Huselius and Iginla each recorded a hat trick in a 9-6 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning. In this one, Calgary never trailed but also failed to preserve three one-goal leads until the latter stages of the third period.

"It was challenging because we were playing a very energized team that was desperate, and they went at it very hard tonight," Keenan said. "We were a little bit tired, but I could see that we were making some mental mistakes because of fatigue."

"It was a real tough start for us because we knew they would be coming out and flying, which they were in the first period," Flames defenseman Robyn Regehr said. "We were able to weather that, and a lot of that was Miikka (Kiprusoff). He gave us a chance to stay in the game, and from there, we did a better job in the second and third periods in turning the tide a little bit."

Matthew Lombardi won a faceoff in the left circle, drawing the puck back to Phaneuf, whose snap shot from the top of the circle sailed between the pads of goaltender Cam Ward at 11:48 of the session, giving the Flames a 4-3 edge.

"I had a little bit of time to get a shot off," Phaneuf said. "I just tried to go five-hole, and luckily, it beat him."

"We found the way to get the winner," Calgary's Owen Nolan added. "We're finding ways to win games. It was a different feel than last night, but it was still high-scoring."

Keenan credited Lombardi's ability to win the faceoff.

"It's the little parts of the game you try to improve upon when you can," Keenan said. "It doesn't necessarily mean you have to score a goal. You can add a lot to hockey by winning a faceoff, blocking a shot, by making a hard hit, by contributing in many different ways.

"Those are components of the game. If things aren't going well, you can build on those components."

Carolina had tied the contest for a third time at 7:19 of the third, when Matt Cullen split a pair of defenders just inside the blue line, skated to the top of the slot and beat Kiprusoff to the stick side with a wrist shot during a power play for his seventh tally of the season.

Fresh off his first career hat trick, Huselius opened the scoring at 4:56 of the first, picking up the puck in the neutral zone and sliding it between Ward's pads during a breakaway for his 13th goal.

Chad LaRose drew the Hurricanes even less than a minute later, however, flipping a backhander past Kiprusoff from the doorstep off the rebound of Cullen's shot at 5:53.

Boyd beat Ward from alone in front with 5:51 remaining in the second session after Carolina defenseman Niclas Wallin's clearing attempt up the middle of the ice was stopped at the blue line, giving Calgary a 2-1 advantage. But Craig Adams' snap shot from the right circle sneaked between Kiprusoff's left arm and body 73 seconds later, knotting the contest at 2-2.

Entering with six goals in his previous four games, Iginla put the Flames ahead during a man advantage early in the third, blasting a slap shot from above the right circle inside the left goalpost 25 seconds into the period for a 3-2 lead.

"He came down the wing and it was a slap shot to the stick side," Ward said. "It's no excuse. It was the third period of the game, and I've got to make that save. I need to step up and make some saves to keep us in the game."

Defenseman Adrian Aucoin registered a pair of assists and Kiprusoff made 33 saves for Calgary, which improved to 4-0-0 on its six-game road trip.

"You just play the game," Phaneuf said. "The travel makes it difficult, but this was a big win for us."

"I don't think we're looking at four wins. We want to keep going," Nolan added. "We're starting to move up the standings and it feels good winning."

Cullen set up a pair of tallies and Ward stopped 17 shots for the Hurricanes, who have allowed 15 goals during their current three-game slide.

"I don't know if one break is going to get this thing turned around," said Carolina captain Rod Brind'Amour, who had an assist. "We need consistent effort, and then the wins will start coming. Right now, it was a good effort, just not good enough."

Hurricanes coach Paul Laviolette agreed.

"I thought that the effort was good. The results, obviously, not good," he said. "Back to work is where we have to go. We have to play a cleaner, better game (Saturday at Philadelphia). It's not going to be easy. Nobody is going to give it to us. We are going to have to go and fight and work for it."