Flames 1, Ducks 0, OT
While Michael Cammalleri was still packing his bags on the other side of North America, another of Calgary general manager Jay Feaster's new acquisitions helped the Flames with their playoff push.
Blair Jones, acquired six days earlier, scored his first goal with Calgary at 1:51 of overtime, Miikka Kiprusoff made 23 saves, and the Flames beat the Anaheim Ducks 1-0 on Thursday night.
''That's pretty cool to get your first goal that way, an overtime goal in a 1-0 game, that's memorable,'' Flames captain Jarome Iginla said.
The Flames have won three in a row overall and eight straight at home. They are 10-0-1 in their past 11 at the Saddledome, with the only regulation loss coming against Ottawa on Nov. 15.
Anaheim had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Kiprusoff improved to 20-14-2 and earned his third shutout of the season and 43rd of his career, tying him for 27th on the NHL list with Lorne (Gump) Worsley.
Jones converted a rebound of his own shot and flipped the puck over Jonas Hiller for the win.
''(Mark) Giordano made a nice drop pass, and I just followed up my shot and it went in. I'm happy to see it go in, for sure,'' said Jones, playing in his third game with the Flames since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 6.
Earlier Thursday, in a trade with the Montreal Canadiens, Calgary reacquired Cammalleri, who led the Flames with 39 goals in the 2008-09 season.
Feaster confirmed in a first-period news conference that he got Cammalleri back. Forward Rene Bourque, who was serving the fourth game of a five-game suspension, was the key player sent to the Canadiens in the multiplayer swap.
Bourque was suspended for elbowing Washington's Nicklas Backstrom in the head on Jan. 3.
The current Flames lineup, missing seven injured players including Alex Tanguay, could have used Cammalleri's offense on Thursday. Calgary had only six shots through the first 40 minutes before turning it on and generating 13 shots in the third period and overtime.
''Our confidence is growing here, and as the third period went on, our fans started sensing it, started giving us that little bit of a push,'' Iginla said. ''We need to win our home games, that's what has given us a chance to stay in the playoff hunt.''
Giordano assisted on the winner in his first game back after missing 21 with a hamstring injury. The assistant captain hadn't played since Nov. 29.
Anaheim has dominated Calgary for the past several years, going 20-1-4 and earning points in 24 of the 25 games between the clubs, dating to March 1999.
''It's a game of inches and it could have gone either way, but we didn't win it. We got a point, but at this stage of the game, I think we need two,'' Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said.
A video review was required on two Anaheim scoring chances.
The puck crossed the goal line at 18:02 of the first period, but on-ice officials said the shot by George Parros was intentionally kicked in by Rod Pelley as he drove to the net.
A review confirmed the ruling.
Halfway through the third period, Saku Koivu sent a pass over to former Flames winger Niklas Hagman. Kiprusoff jabbed out his pad to stop it, but momentum carried Kiprusoff into the net, and there was a question whether the puck crossed the line.
Another review showed the puck stayed out.
''We were able to keep them under 15 shots until the final 10 minutes of the third period, so defensively we did a lot of good things, but obviously we need to get more pucks in the net,'' Koivu said. ''We played well enough to get two points, but we got one. When you look at the situation where we are, in games like this, we can't afford to lose that one point.''
Hiller got the surprise start for the Ducks. Earlier in the day, Boudreau said Jeff Deslauriers was going to play against the Flames with Hiller to start against Edmonton on Friday night.
One of the chances in the third was a hard slap shot from Flames defenseman Anton Babchuk, which deflected off Hiller's helmet and went into the crowd.
Shortly after that, Blake Comeau had a chance from 10 feet, but had his backhand turned aside. In overtime, Iginla had a scoring chance in the first minute, but was stopped from 15 feet away.
NOTES: It was Calgary's first game against a Pacific Division opponent. Four of the Flames next five games are also against the Pacific Division... The Flames' record for most consecutive wins at home is 10, which was set Nov. 7 to Dec. 12, 2006... Calgary D Chris Butler played in career game No. 200. ... It was career win No. 296 for Kiprusoff, which ties him with Ron Hextall for 27th on the career list. ... Anaheim is 1-16-3 when giving up the first goal. ... Boudreau is 7-9-3 since taking over as Ducks coach on Nov. 30.