Flames 7, Coyotes 5

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GLENDALE, Ariz. - It was a puck-shooting clinic Saturday night as the Calgary Flames beat the Coyotes 7-5 in a game featuring 82 shots in front of an energetic 16,981 fans at Jobing.com Arena.

Three of Calgary's goals deflected off Coyotes defensemen and past goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who allowed seven goals on 45 shots.

“We’re putting ourselves in a tough position, there is no question about that,” Coyotes Head Coach Wayne Gretzky said. “We just can’t afford to keep losing at home. It’s another bad loss tonight. We started the game well, the same as last game … turnovers at the offensive blue line and turnovers in our own end are not good enough.”

Forwards Daniel Winnik and Viktor Tikhonov both notched two goals and an assist, and Shane Doan added his team-leading 22nd goal of the season for the Coyotes (25-27-5). For Winnik and Tikhonov, it was the first multi-goal game of their NHL careers.

“It’s one of those things that you were playing well at the beginning and they get the goal to tie it at 1-1 and it gives them some momentum as well," said Doan, who has 51 points in 57 games. “All of a sudden, they end up with 15 shots in the first. As well as we played, we really didn’t capitalize on the chances we had and they buried every one they got.”

Matthew Lombardi scored two goals and Adrian Aucoin, Daymond Langkow, Cory Sarich, Curtis Glencross and Eric Nystrom chipped in tallies for the Flames (32-18-5), who finished a three-game Pacific Division trip 2-0-1.

The Coyotes came out firing pucks at Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff with a season-high 20 shots on goal in the first 20 minutes.

“In the first period, we played very well and did a lot of good things,” Gretzky said. “(But) one period doesn’t win hockey games.”

The Flames took control of the game by scoring four times in the second period. Goals by Langkow, Sarich and Lombardi in just under a six-minute span put Calgary ahead 4-2. Later in the period, Calgary's David Moss fed Glencross while on a two-on-nothing break, and Glencross breat Bryzgalov with a shot to put the Flames up 5-2 with 15 seconds left in the period.

“That one hurt,” Gretzky said. “I don’t even have an answer to what transpired on that. It was just a horrible play.”

Phoenix scored three goals in the third period, but it wasn’t enough as Calgary added two more.

Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images

Phoenix's fourth line of Winnik, Tikhonov and Todd Fedoruk, who had two assists, was the lone bright spot.

“It was just one of those nights where, as a line, the puck was following us around the net,” Winnik said. “(Tikhonov) got two goals. We said ... let's just keep it simple and that worked for us.”

Before scoring twice on Saturday, Winnik’s last goal came 37 games ago dating to last season.

“It was coming up close to a calendar year and it was a huge weight off my shoulders,” said Winnik, who has five points in 30 games this season.

Forward Peter Mueller returned to the lineup for the Coyotes after missing seven games with a concussion> He played 19:05.

NOTES

• Bryzgalov started his 16th consecutive game on Saturday night, the longest streak of his career. His previous best was 12 straight starts from Nov. 17 to Dec. 13, 2007 - his first 12 games with the Coyotes.

• With his 22nd goal of the season, Doan passed Paul MacLean to move into sole possession of fourth place on the organization's all-time goals list with 249.

• The road team won all four games in this season series.

• The Flames outshot the Coyotes 45-37. Doan had a game-high seven shots on goal.

• Phoenix went 2 for 4 on the power play and is 3 for 7 in its past two games.

• The Flames did not have a power play in the game.
 

Todd Bertuzzi Daniel Winnik Viktor Tikhonov