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Kiprusoff helps Flames burn Canucks

Jan 1, 2008 - 6:06 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- It took five tries, but Miikka Kiprusoff has finally gotten the better of the Vancouver Canucks this season.

Kiprusoff made 24 saves and Kristian Huselius netted the game-winning goal as the Calgary Flames ended a four-game losing streak to the Canucks with a 2-1 victory on Monday night.

"After the first one, (Kiprusoff) was in position all night," Flames center Craig Conroy said. "He's across quick; he's out at the shooters. He didn't give them anything. He made some great saves. When the rebounds were sitting around him, he did a great job of clearing the puck."

Owen Nolan also tallied and Daymond Langkow had two assists for the Flames, who have won eight of their last 11 contests.

"I think we've competed hard against (the Canucks) for the majority of the games," Nolan said. "Unfortunately, we just couldn't get the bounces to get ahead of them. It worked tonight. Two goals up was obviously enough. We played well defensively to keep them on the outside and not let them get too many quality shots."

Huselius broke a 1-1 tie with 65 seconds left in the second period, scoring his 17th goal of the season.

After Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo stopped defenseman Anders Eriksson's slap shot from the right point, Huselius snuck in behind the netminder, grabbed the rebound and fired a shot into the open net to give Calgary a 2-1 edge.

Huselius' tally provided just enough offense for Kiprusoff, who turned in one of his best performances of the campaign. He made just four saves in the first period, 11 in the next and 10 more in the third.

"The thing that we probably did better than anything was watch the Sedins in front of the net, and our net presence was better," Flames coach Mike Keenan said.

Early on in the game, it appeared like more of the same for the Flames after Daniel Sedin opened the scoring at 2:34 of the first period. Sedin has registered three goals and eight points against Calgary this season.

"You can't worry about too much," Kiprusoff said referring to allowing a goal on the game's first shot. "It's like 50 something time left. That's a goalie's life right there."

"It was a tough battle out there," Daniel's twin brother Henrik Sedin said. "They got a couple bounces. Maybe we should have got the second goal there. We weren't able to finish off."

Nolan, however, responded with 8:33 remaining in the first with his seventh goal of the season. Nolan received a cross-crease pass from Langkow and fired an off-angle wrist shot to the top shelf to tie the game at 1-1.

"I knew he was going to cover the bottom of the net," Nolan said of Luongo. "I knew I had to get it up and I just tried to raise it as much as I could."

Luongo enter Monday's contest with a 4-0-0 record and 2.20 goals-against average against the Flames this season - but even with a solid performance, he was unable to out duel Kiprusoff.

The 28-year-old Luongo, who was a runner-up with Kiprusoff for the Vezina Trophy last season, stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced.