CALGARY, Alberta – Jarome Iginla scored twice and the Calgary Flames had goals 23 seconds apart in the final 2 minutes to rally for a 5-4 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Sunday night.
After Iginla's second goal tied the score with 1:23 remaining, Curtis Glencross got the game-winner for the Flames. Tim Jackman and Mike Cammalleri had Calgary's other goals.
Raffi Torres had two goals for Phoenix, and Michael Stone and Nick Johnson also scored.
It was a turbulent third period for the Flames, who led 3-2 after two periods. In the middle of it all was Iginla, who entered the night with one goal on the season and just two in his last 28 games.
Torres tied the score 3-all at 2:22 of the third period. The Coyotes winger started the sequence with a nifty behind-the-back pass to defenseman Zbynek Michalek as he crossed the Flames' blue line. Torres then raced for the net and buried Michalek's return pass behind Joey MacDonald.
The goal came 6 seconds after the Coyotes were put right back onto the power play for the third time in the period. Boosted by a couple key faceoff wins by Blake Comeau, the Flames had just finished effectively killing off a 1:43 two-man advantage.
As the gate opened to let Matt Stajan back onto the ice to return the Flames to even strength, the Flames' center poked the puck off the stick of Keith Yandle while he was still standing inside the penalty box. On the rarely seen play, Stajan was correctly assessed an interference penalty. The crowd was displeased with the call, jeering referees Ian Walsh and Tim Peel for the remainder of the period.
Nick Johnson put the Coyotes into the lead at 8:48, backhanding in a rebound from Oliver Ekman-Larsson's point shot.
Iginla tied it when he got just enough of his stick on a cross-ice pass from Alex Tanguay, to bounce the puck past Phoenix goaltender Mike Smith.
With the crowd still buzzing, Calgary took the lead with Lee Stempniak wheeling out of the corner and hitting Glencross with a perfect feed. Glencross one-timed a slapshot past Smith.
Trailing 1-0, the Coyotes tied it with a power-play score at 5:32 of the second on a tough break for Flames defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who had Michael Stone's point shot carom off defensive partner Mark Giordano in front and hit him in the skate as he tried to control it and bound straight into the net.
Torres put Phoenix ahead 5:59 remaining in the period as he got behind the Flames' defense on a 2-on-2, was threaded a pass by Matthew Lombardi, and tucked a backhand behind MacDonald.
Iginla tied the score at 2-all with 3:34 to go, sliding a harmless-looking backhander toward the net and the puck slipped through Smith's pads.
Cammalleri put the Flames ahead with 35 seconds left in the period. He took a centering pass from Glencross and fired a shot into the top corner of the net.
After getting blanked on 30 shots by Smith last Tuesday, the Flames scored on the their first shot in this game.
Chris Butler's shot didn't make it through a crowd in front but Jackman collected it and, as he cruised by the net, he shovelled a backhand under Smith's arm. It was Jackman first goal and point in 52 games dating back to Dec. 29, 2011.
NOTES: Calgary RW Akim Aliu (lower body) was injured in his season debut Saturday and was replaced in the lineup by Roman Cervenka. ... Calgary LW Steve Begin played in his 500th career game. ... Iginla's two points give him 1,086 for his career, moving him within two points of Theo Fleury for 59th on the NHL's career list.
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