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Cammalleri caps Flames' comeback in overtime

Dec 6, 2008 - 6:02 AM ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- It was only a matter of time before the Calgary Flames got going and continued their dominance of the St. Louis Blues.

Mike Cammalleri scored 2:21 into overtime, giving the Flames a 4-3 comeback victory over the St. Louis Blues on Friday in the opener of a four-game road trip.

Captain Jarome Iginla and David Moss netted power-play goals early in the third period to erase a 3-1 deficit for the Flames, who improved to 10-1-0 in their last 11 meetings with the Blues.

Rene Bourque also tallied, defenseman Dion Phaneuf notched four assists and Curtis Glencross set up a pair of goals for Calgary, which has won three in a road on the road and six of eight overall.

"You want to be able to contribute," Phaneuf said. "It was a huge win for our team. We didn't get off to the start we wanted. We were down, 3-1, and to come back."

Brad Boyes and rookie Patrik Berglund each recorded a goal and an assist and David Backes also scored for the Blues, who have dropped four of five.

Trailing by two goals after 40 minutes, the Flames used the man advantage to get back in the game and earn at least one point.

With St. Louis defenseman Roman Polak in the penalty box for high-sticking, Todd Bertuzzi made a pass from behind the net to Iginla, who beat goaltender Chris Mason from the doorstep at 1:43 of the third for his 13th goal of the season.

"We took a penalty right away, put ourselves behind the eight ball," Mason said. "We can't afford to do that. We played good the first two periods and shot ourselves in the foot (in the third)."

A boarding infraction Backes against Calgary defenseman Mark Giordano on an icing play less than two minutes later gave Calgary the opportunity to knot the contest. The Flames did not squander the chance as Moss' deflection of a wrist shot from the left point by Phaneuf caromed off the left goalpost and past Mason at 5:19, forging a 3-3 tie.

"My only question was, to me, Giordano stopped skating," Blues coach Andy Murray said of Backes' penalty. "I don't think Backes knew it was icing."

The tally, his fourth in five contests, extended Moss' goal-scoring streak to three games.

Midway through overtime, Cammalleri carried the puck down the right wing and, as defenseman Eric Brewer made a sliding attempt to block the shot, unleashed a snapper from the faceoff circle that beat Mason for the winning goal.

"(Cammalleri) pulled it. He just changed the angle and just snapped it really quick," Mason said. "It was a quick shot and just beat me right through my arm."

"I don't think I'm the game hero by any means," a modest Cammalleri said. "I just think I was the guy that scored the last goal."

Brewer made the only play possible as the only defender back on the 2-on-1 rush.

"I was just trying to force him to take a shot," he said. "I think I might have deflected it a little. I was just trying to slide-block it and delay and give our guy enough time to get back. It's just one of those that finds a way in."

Murray defended his blue-liner on the play.

"He couldn't have done anything," Murray said. "What's he supposed to do? It's 2-on-1, the guy shoots the puck from the circle, it goes in the net. Come on."

St. Louis, which has lost four straight meetings with Calgary, opened a 2-0 lead with tallies less than three minutes apart late in the first period.

With 6:10 left in the session, defenseman Barret Jackman kept the puck in the offensive zone and fired it toward the net. Miikka Kiprusoff made the save, but Backes was on the doorstep to bury the rebound for his fifth goal.

Just 2:21 later, Berglund received a backhand pass from along the end line on the left side of the net by Boyes and fired it past Kiprusoff from the right circle during a power play, doubling the advantage.

Bourque converted a rebound chance in front at 7:12 of the second to halve the deficit, but Boyes took a cross-slot pass from Berglund and beat Kiprusoff from the left circle with 4:10 to go in the session to restore the Blues' two-goal bulge.

Kiprusoff made 22 saves for Calgary and Mason stopped 26 shots for St. Louis, which fell to 6-0-1 when leading after two periods.