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Nolan's hat trick helps Flames edge Sharks

Jan 31, 2008 - 6:50 AM CALGARY, Alberta (Ticker) -- Owen Nolan put on quite a display against his former team.

Nolan recorded his 11th career hat trick and All-Star defenseman Dion Phaneuf added a power-play goal as the Calgary Flames extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-4 triumph over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.

Wayne Primeau also tallied, Alex Tanguay and Craig Conroy each recorded a pair of assists and Miikka Kiprusoff made 27 saves for Calgary, which picked up where it left off prior to the All-Star break.

"As the game went on, we got our legs," Primeau said. "We started rolling four lines. Kipper made some huge saves and kept us in the game. ... The biggest thing is, we got the win and the two points."

Captain Patrick Marleau, rookie Tomas Plihal, Patrick Rissmiller and Jonathan Cheechoo scored and All-Star Evgeni Nabokov turned aside 24 shots for the Sharks, who also entered the contest with a three-game winning streak.

Entering with just nine goals in 45 games this season, Nolan forged a 1-1 tie at 6:04 of the first period. After receiving a pass from along the left wing boards by Tanguay, Nolan put a backhander from the slot inside the left goalpost to get the Flames on the scoreboard.

"He was a real leader for us tonight," Flames coach Mike Keenan said. "He was very vocal on the bench, very strong on the ice in all areas. Offensively, killing penalties, he and Craig Conroy were really strong on faceoffs, set the tone physically.

"He was a real leader for us tonight and continues to be so. He's an experienced player who steps up in big games, and tonight's an example of his leadership."

San Jose coach Ron Wilson claimed his team created the scoring opportunities for Calgary.

"Those couple bonehead plays," he said. "It took a little of our energy away. They're just silly elementary mistakes that maybe you make when you're a little bit tired."

With Calgary already holding a 3-1 advantage, Nolan extended it while shorthanded early in the third.

Nabokov played the puck below the right faceoff circle and attempted a pass but gave it right to Nolan, who fired it into the vacant net from the faceoff dot 57 seconds into the period for a three-goal bulge.

"I think it was just being in the right place at the right time," said Nolan, who also won a fight against Mike Grier in the second period.

"I did fan on it," Nabokov explained. "I probably shouldn't even have tried to go in the middle. I should have given the puck to the closest guy. I tried to speed up the play and made a mistake."

A Shark from 1995-2003, Nolan completed his hat trick with 9:15 remaining in the third, scoring his 12th of the season by banging in a rebound from the doorstep.

"I just tried to push the puck ahead so I could get it out," Nolan said. "I didn't want (Kiprusoff) to get a piece of it. I just had the momentum going there and just tried to get it into the net. I was fortunate that he wasn't able to reach it."

"Our goalie passes him the puck, he's all alone in front of the net. Give credit to Owen, but I don't know (about it being) veteran savvy," Wilson said. "We handed him the goals. He happened to be at the right place at the right time."

Nolan's performance even drew the praise of Sharks veteran Jeremy Roenick.

"He's the ultimate professional, in my opinion," Roenick said. "He's been a true ambassador to the game, a guy that's shown so much heart. He's a good friend of mine and I'm happy that he's thriving in Calgary. Calgary's lucky to have him."

Roenick was involved in a scrum with Phaneuf in the third period but denied being agitated, instead offering somewhat of a compliment to the hard-hitting blue-liner.

"He likes to play dirty," Roenick said of Phaneuf. "He's a hard-nosed player. He played with an edge. The guy has his stick in the back of your neck and the whistle's already gone.

"He didn't get under my skin. That's Dion being Dion. He does what he does, and he's good at what he does."

Fresh off a 3-0 victory at Edmonton on Tuesday, San Jose grabbed the lead midway through the opening session. Carrying down the right wing, Marleau had his initial shot from the faceoff circle blocked.

But the veteran center regained control of the puck and kicked it to his stick before beating Kiprusoff to the stick side at 10:39 for his ninth goal of the season.

Just 22 seconds after Nolan evened the contest in the second, Primeau - also a former Shark - converted a pass from Dustin Boyd, who stole the puck from two defenders in the right circle. Phaneuf gave the Flames a 3-1 lead with 2:25 to go in the period with a shot from the top of the slot that beat Nabokov to the glove side.

Plihal drew the Sharks within 4-2 with his first career goal at 2:40 of the third. Kiprusoff stopped the Czech's backhand shot, but the puck fell to the ice and the Finnish netminder inadvertently kicked it into his own net.

After Nolan restored the three-goal advantage, Rissmiller beat Kiprusoff to the stick side with two minutes remaining and Cheechoo whacked a rebound out of the air and into the net during a power play 59 seconds later to make it a one-goal game.

"They have a great team and never give up," Nolan said. "We sat back a little bit and let them get opportunities. That power-play goal gave them a little spark. It just proves the game's never over. You have to finish it right to the end."

"You never like to give up a couple of goals late in the game," Keenan said. "It's somewhat of a letdown and lesson learned. But we'll learn from it and take the two points. We probably earned the two points, and the sloppy play taints it a little bit."