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Iginla helps Keenan record historic win

Dec 17, 2007 - 4:00 AM By Tom James PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

ST. LOUIS (Ticker) - Jarome Iginla continues to wreak havoc on the St. Louis Blues, but this time, he got a helping hand from Kristian Huselius, and in turn helped Mike Keenan and the Calgary Flames make history.

Iginla, the NHL's third leading scorer, scored two power-play goals and added two assists, and Huselius had a goal and four assists to lead the Flames to a 5-3 win over the Blues on Sunday.

It was Calgary's fifth straight victory on its six-game road trip as well as Keenan's 600th career victory.

The effort spoiled the St. Louis debut of center Andy McDonald, who had a goal and an assist two days after being acquired from Anaheim for Doug Weight.

Daymond Langkow added two goals and an assist for the Flames, who have won five consecutive games on the same road trip for the first time since defeating Philadelphia, Boston, the New York Islanders, New Jersey and Hartford on November 10-19, 1988.

Brad Boyes, with his 19th goal of the season, and Lee Stempniak scored for St. Louis, which has just one point while going winless over four straight games.

Huselius set up Iginla for the eventual game-winner at 7:55 of the third period. Iginla took a cross-ice pass from the 29-year-old Swede in the left circle and ripped a quick wrister high to the far corner past St. Louis goaltender Manny Legace for his 23rd goal of the season and seventh in five games.

"It was a game that for a bit there was going back and forth as far as momentum," Iginla said. "But Kristian (Huselius) always seemed to come up the big play when we had to have it."

The Calgary left wing completed his second five-point effort in three games when he set up Langkow for an empty-net goal with 18.2 seconds left, clinching Keenan's place alongside Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour, Dick Irvin, Pat Quinn and Bryan Murray in the NHL's 600-win club.

"It means a lot of owners and (general) managers have had confidence in me," Kennan said. "Especially this last hire."

Iginla opened the scoring at 12:05 of the first period. The 30-year-old right wing completed a three-way passing play around the net, started by Huselius in the left corner, when he knocked in Daymond Langkow's centering pass.

"Our power-play unit is getting more confidence and were getting some momentum as a result of that success," Keenan said. "There's good chemistry among the group, and once you get that going, it perpetuates itself in the offense."

Another three-way passing sequence, over a wider area, led to McDonald scoring his first goal as a Blue and fifth of the season. Defenseman Eric Brewer, in the left faceoff circle, made a one-time return of Kariya's cross-ice pass to the right hashmark and an open McDonald, who took two strides before firing a wrist shot over the glove of Miikka Kiprusoff at 14:28.

McDonald, Kariya and Boyes teamed on the Blues first line and seemed to gel from the start as they combined for nine shots on goal.

"It's good to be back with Paul (Kariya), plus, there's a good group here," McDonald said. "It's tough to outscore a team like that, but, I was really impressed with our group."

Huselius put the Flames back in front 46 seconds into the second period on a rebound chance of his own drive from the high slot that was kicked out back by Manny Legace. Craig Conroy set up Huselius with a quick drop feed after receiving a pass from Iginla, stationed along the right-wing boards.

"It is really coming together for us now. We are beginning to feel like we can do anything, on this road trip, and especially on the power play." Huselius said of his work with linemates Iginla and Langkow, a trio which has combined for 26 points over the last three games.

Boyes tied it with a wrister over Kiprusoff's glove from the right faceoff circle at 7:24 after originally mishandling a feed from Kariya on the far wing.

Lee Stempniak gave the Blues their first lead of the game 79 seconds later when he circled through the right circle from behind the net, after a collecting short dump-in pass from Jay McClement, and lifting a backhand over Kiprusoff's right shoulder.

Langkow tied the game at 16:29 when he tapped in a pass through the crease from Huselius. He won the puck from Erik Johnson after a pass from Brewer out of the left corner hit the back side of the goal cage.

"It was not a great pass, and it was not a great battle for the puck at the side of the net either," Blues coach Andy Murray said. "I said it the other night, and, I will say it again. If our guys back there do not do the job - it does not matter who we are playing, even strength, man-up or man-down - we are going to have a tough time out there."