Vancouver, BC – Andrew Ebbett returned to the lineup and netted a game-winner.
Ebbett, out for nearly three months with a broken collarbone, scored on a deflection with 62 seconds remaining in overtime Saturday to lift Vancouver over Calgary, 3-2, and back into first place in the Western Conference.
Maxim Lapierre and Marc-Andre Gragnani also scored for the Canucks, who have won six in a row to leap-frog St. Louis for the No. 1 spot in the conference with 107 points.
Roberto Luongo made 31 saves for the victory, including three in overtime.
Olli Jokinen and Mike Cammalleri scored for the Flames, who picked up a point to remain in the hunt for a playoff spot even after losing three in a row and eight of nine. Henrik Karlsson gave up three goals on 34 shots.
The Flames have 86 points -- four out of the eighth and final spot with just two games remaining, including their next one Thursday against Vancouver. It's not a true home-and-home series, though, because the Canucks will play Anaheim two days earlier.
Ebbett, injured early in a Jan. 7 game against Boston, was planted in the low slot when he got a piece of Sami Salo's shot from the right side, deflecting it past Karlsson for the win.
In addition to taking the conference lead, the Northwest Division-champion Canucks also pulled even with the idle New York Rangers for the NHL's overall points lead.
They had a 1-0 lead 5:08 into the game on Lapierre's goal, but Calgary scored two in a row to move in front.
Jokinen tied the game on a power play 5:38 into the second period, firing a one-timer past Luongo from the slot. Cammalleri made it 2-1 just 51 seconds into the third on a slap shot from the high slot, but Gragnani squeezed one through with 8:15 remaining to tie it.
Game Notes
The Canucks are 4-0-0 on a five-game homestand that ends Tuesday against the Ducks. They have three games left...Calgary had won two in a row in the series after dropping five straight and nine of the previous 10 meetings...The Flames are 1-4-4 in their last nine.