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Bench Warmer
The Calgary Flames beat the Chicago Blackhawks for the first time this season, and got back into their playoff series in the process.
David Moss had two goals, and Rene Bourque and Eric Nystrom also scored to lead the Flames to a 4-2 victory Monday night. Calgary trails 2-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series.
"It will hopefully give us a little bit of momentum," said Moss, who has three goals in three playoff games. "We certainly weren't dwelling on the fact we were 0-6 versus them. We just had to win tonight."
Game 4 is Wednesday night in Calgary.
"Going into Wednesday, we'll have the same attitude," Moss said. "We just have to win one and get the series back."
Curtis Glencross had a pair of assists for Calgary, which had lost its four regular-season meeting with Chicago and first two games in the playoffs. The Flames have never won a playoff series they've opened 0-2.
Chicago's Martin Havlat scored late in the third for his third goal in as many games.
The team that has scored first in each game of this series has lost. After failing to protect leads in Chicago, the Flames came from behind with four unanswered goals after Patrick Sharp scored on a power play just over two minutes into the game.
"Now we know what to expect," Chicago's Jonathan Toews said. "It was a tough night playing in this building, a lot of adversity. We just have to learn how to overcome that a little bit better. Every guy on the bench, everyone's got to be yelling a little bit more and be ready to go. We just have to use this as fuel for the next night."
Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 36 shots, while Nikolai Khabibulin made 24 saves.
"Even after those couple of losses in Chicago, we thought we could beat them if we played our best game," Kiprusoff said.
The last time the Flames scored four goals against Khabibulin was Game 1 of the 2004 Stanley Cup final against Tampa Bay.
"He's been pretty good versus us," Moss said, "and for us to be successful, we've got to keep putting pucks there in traffic and that's where we can solve him a little bit."
Khabibulin failed to seal off the left corner of his net on Bourque's awkward go-ahead goal late in the second period and he gave up a big rebound that led to Calgary's third goal of the game.
Calgary ended a 0-for-46 power-play drought in Game 2, but the Flames went cold again in Game 3 and managed just two shots on back-to-back power-play chances early in the second period.
But after Sharp's goal at 2:03, Calgary killed off six Chicago chances, including three in the third period.
Moss's second goal of the third period put the home team up 4-1 at 4:24. He tipped a pass from Glencross between Khabibulin's pads for his third goal of the series.
Moss gave Calgary a two-goal cushion at 1:18 when Khabibulin couldn't control an Adam Pardy shot and Moss put the rebound just under the crossbar from the high slot.
Bourque's goal at 17:07 of the second was a gift for the Flames, who were getting outplayed in the back half of the period yet went into the third period with the lead. Circling out from behind the net, he put the puck on Khabibulin and banked it off the Chicago goalie's skate and in.
Bourque missed the last 24 games of the regular season because of an ankle injury.
Nystrom pulled Calgary even at 1-1 with his first career playoff goal at 6:40.
David Moss had two goals, and Rene Bourque and Eric Nystrom also scored to lead the Flames to a 4-2 victory Monday night. Calgary trails 2-1 in the best-of-seven Western Conference quarterfinal series.
"It will hopefully give us a little bit of momentum," said Moss, who has three goals in three playoff games. "We certainly weren't dwelling on the fact we were 0-6 versus them. We just had to win tonight."
Game 4 is Wednesday night in Calgary.
"Going into Wednesday, we'll have the same attitude," Moss said. "We just have to win one and get the series back."
Curtis Glencross had a pair of assists for Calgary, which had lost its four regular-season meeting with Chicago and first two games in the playoffs. The Flames have never won a playoff series they've opened 0-2.
Chicago's Martin Havlat scored late in the third for his third goal in as many games.
The team that has scored first in each game of this series has lost. After failing to protect leads in Chicago, the Flames came from behind with four unanswered goals after Patrick Sharp scored on a power play just over two minutes into the game.
"Now we know what to expect," Chicago's Jonathan Toews said. "It was a tough night playing in this building, a lot of adversity. We just have to learn how to overcome that a little bit better. Every guy on the bench, everyone's got to be yelling a little bit more and be ready to go. We just have to use this as fuel for the next night."
Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 36 shots, while Nikolai Khabibulin made 24 saves.
"Even after those couple of losses in Chicago, we thought we could beat them if we played our best game," Kiprusoff said.
The last time the Flames scored four goals against Khabibulin was Game 1 of the 2004 Stanley Cup final against Tampa Bay.
"He's been pretty good versus us," Moss said, "and for us to be successful, we've got to keep putting pucks there in traffic and that's where we can solve him a little bit."
Khabibulin failed to seal off the left corner of his net on Bourque's awkward go-ahead goal late in the second period and he gave up a big rebound that led to Calgary's third goal of the game.
Calgary ended a 0-for-46 power-play drought in Game 2, but the Flames went cold again in Game 3 and managed just two shots on back-to-back power-play chances early in the second period.
But after Sharp's goal at 2:03, Calgary killed off six Chicago chances, including three in the third period.
Moss's second goal of the third period put the home team up 4-1 at 4:24. He tipped a pass from Glencross between Khabibulin's pads for his third goal of the series.
Moss gave Calgary a two-goal cushion at 1:18 when Khabibulin couldn't control an Adam Pardy shot and Moss put the rebound just under the crossbar from the high slot.
Bourque's goal at 17:07 of the second was a gift for the Flames, who were getting outplayed in the back half of the period yet went into the third period with the lead. Circling out from behind the net, he put the puck on Khabibulin and banked it off the Chicago goalie's skate and in.
Bourque missed the last 24 games of the regular season because of an ankle injury.
Nystrom pulled Calgary even at 1-1 with his first career playoff goal at 6:40.
