CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- Jarome Iginla had a goal and an assist
to lead the Calgary Flames to a pivotal 4-1 victory over the Los
Angeles Kings on Monday night.
Calgary moved two points ahead of Vancouver in the race for
first place in the Northwest Division. The Flames can clinch the
title with a regulation victory over the Canucks in Vancouver on
Tuesday. Calgary had lost four of six, while scoring only six
goals, before breaking out against the Kings.
The Flames outshot Los Angeles 19-5 in the second period and
grabbed a 2-1 lead. Daymond Langkow, David Moss and Jim
Vandermeer, with his first goal in 75 games, also scored for
Calgary.
Wayne Simmonds netted the lone goal for Los Angeles.
Iginla scored the go-ahead goal at 16:38 when he one-timed a
feed from Mike Cammalleri before Kings goalie Erik Ersberg could
slide across. Cammalleri had two assists after going six games
without a point.
Calgary went ahead 3-1 in the third period with a rare goal from
Vandermeer, who hadn't scored since Jan. 24, 2008. The veteran
defenseman mishandled the puck in front of the Los Angeles net,
but it was knocked in by the stick of trailing Kings defenseman
Jack Johnson.
Moss rounded out the scoring at 10:46, netting his 20th goal of
the season after a 15-game wait. Moss swooped in off the right
wing and made a neat move to his backhand to beat Ersberg.
Trailing 1-0, Los Angeles tied it at 10:47 of the second when
Michal Handzus won a faceoff back to Simmonds, who snapped a
shot past Miikka Kiprusoff.
If would be the lone goal Kiprusoff would surrender on 24 shots,
improving his record to 45-22-5.
Ersberg faced 38 shots for the Kings, who have already been
eliminated from the playoff chase in the Western Conference.
Calgary took a 1-0 lead at 2:05 of the second when Langkow
jabbed a puck from a scramble in front of the Kings net.
In a mostly uneventful first period, the best chance belonged to
Calgary, which had a 64 second two-man advantage. The Flames
started the night without a goal in 25 power-play chances, and
they didn't even generate a single shot on goal.
Calgary finished 0-for-6 with the advantage, including another
failed 5-on-3 chance that lasted 1:33 in the third period.
For the second straight game, Calgary went with only 17 skaters
- one short of the limit. Pressed up against the NHL salary cap,
the Flames have been unable to recall enough players to replace
those who are injured.