CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - The Calgary Flames left the Colorado Avalanche behind in the first period.

Jarome Iginla, Tony Amonte and Craig MacDonald scored in a 2:05 span in Calgary's four-goal first period to help the Flames beat the Avalanche 5-3 on Saturday night for their sixth straight victory.

"We got caught sleeping," said Alex Tanguay, who scored twice for Colorado. "We've been playing so well in the first period over the course of the last 10 games and tonight, maybe we were a little over confident. They're a very good hockey team and you can't give them the room that we did in the first period."

Chuck Kobasew added a power-play goal late in the opening period and Andrew Ference had a third-period goal for the Flames, who improved to 10-7-2 and moved into a tie with Vancouver for the Northwest Division lead.

"We don't need everybody to score 20, but we need guys to chip in here and there. It's the only way we can win," Ference said. "We can't just rely on Iggy and just his line, or a couple defenseman to play good. We've proven it to ourselves that if we only have three guys going and four defenseman, we're a losing hockey club."

Tanguay had two second-period goals for the Avalanche, the first on a penalty shot. Brent Clark added a power-play goal in the period for Colorado. The loss was the Avalanche's first in regulation in eight games (6-1-1).

"It's a little disappointing not to win, but it's going to be one of those years," Tanguay said. "We play them six more times and it's going to be a battle every time we play them."

Miikka Kiprusoff made 27 saves for the Flames.

Iginla opened the scoring with 7:06 left in the first, Amonte made it 2-0 21 seconds later and MacDonald capped the spree with 5:01 left.

Steve Reinprecht had two assists for the Flames, giving him seven points (one goal and six assists) in the last three games.

Notes: The six-game winning streak is Calgary's first since Feb. 2-12, 1994. ... Amonte's goal was his first in 10 games. ... Iginla has 10 goals this season, eight in the last nine games.