[26-15-7]
2
4
03/03/2013
FINAL
[19-25-4]
123T
VAN1102
31SHOTS25
32FACEOFFS31
8HITS16
13PIM19
0/2PP1/4
4GIVEAWAYS14
5TAKEAWAYS3
12BLOCKED SHOTS16
     

Flames' Taylor gets first win on goal by Iginla

Monday, 03.04.2013 / 12:28 AM

CALGARY -- A southern Alberta snowstorm couldn't stop the Vancouver Canucks.

Daniel Taylor and the Calgary Flames could.

Taylor made 29 saves for his first NHL victory, Jarome Iginla scored the game-winner late in the third period, and the Flames defeated the Canucks 4-2 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday night.

"It's every kid's dream to grow up and play in the NHL and win games," Taylor said. "It's obviously a dream come true, but I'm not satisfied. I want more. I want to win more."

Poor weather conditions delayed the Canucks' flight from Vancouver to Calgary more than 12 hours after their 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings late Saturday night. The wait kept the Canucks from arriving at the rink until two hours before puck drop.

"(It was) a little crazy," Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said. "Going to the airport last night thinking we're going to fly to Calgary and then have to drive back to our houses and then come back after lunch. It was a little different, but that's the way it is."

Iginla scored with 7:24 remaining to give the Flames (8-8-4) two points over their travel-weary rival. One second after an abuse of officials penalty served by David Booth expired, Iginla's centering pass hit Jason Garrison in front and redirected past goalie Roberto Luongo to put the Flames up 3-2.

"It's not his fault. It was just a bad break," Luongo said of Garrison. "It's unfortunate that it had to happen at that time of the game and it turned out to be the winning goal. It's just a bad break there."

After that, Taylor held the Canucks (11-6-4) at bay, turning aside Sedin on the doorstep looking for a rebound in the crease with 2:23 remaining. Jay Bouwmeester also blocked what looked to be an empty-net tap-in.

"There were some big plays and some big saves at timely moments," Flames defenseman Mark Giordano said.

Mike Cammalleri, with his second goal of the game, hit the back of the empty Vancouver net with 23 seconds remaining to secure Taylor's first win.

The 26-year-old, former seventh-round draft pick had played one NHL game prior to this season, in 2008 for the Los Angeles Kings.

"After Cammalleri scored the fourth one, I kind of realized that it was going to happen," Taylor said. "To be honest, I was just focusing on what I had to do. [I'm] very happy obviously to get the win. This team needs points. We need to win but there's a lot to work on moving forward."

Though it was the Canucks who arrived late to the rink, both teams were slow to start, with the game's first shot coming nearly seven minutes in. Still, Vancouver found a way to open the scoring.

Sprung on a clear-cut breakaway by Jannik Hansen, Chris Higgins fired his sixth of the season past the blocker of Taylor at 7:49. The goal marked the second time in his two NHL starts Taylor allowed a goal on the second shot he faced.

After Mason Raymond hit the crossbar four minutes later and Taylor blockered off a partial breakaway attempt off the stick of Booth, Cammalleri drew the Flames even.

Skating in 1-on-3, Cammalleri let off a wrist shot from just inside the blueline that Luongo whiffed on. It was the goalie's first game since giving up eight goals to the Detroit Red Wings a week ago.

"It just went off of my glove and in, so there's no excuse for it, just a bad goal," Luongo said.

Hansen wasted little time restoring the Canucks' lead in the second period after some Luongo magic.

Taking away a virtually empty net from Flames rookie Sven Baertschi with his right pad, Luongo then got his arm down to prevent Iginla from jamming in the rebound. Hauling the puck up ice moments later, Hansen managed to bat a Cam Barker rebound out of mid-air and behind Taylor for a 2-1 lead at 2:36.

Calgary's Lee Stempniak responded with his sixth of the season four minutes later.

Initially stopped by Luongo on a partial break set-up, Stempniak corralled a Matt Stajan centering pass in the slot and fired a shot that beat the keeper over the glove to again knot the score.

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