Flames 4, Avalanche 3
CALGARY, Alberta -- If this is what the Calgary Flames look like without Jarome Iginla, maybe they won't be that bad off.
The Flames captain was scratched Wednesday night, and it was reported he will join the Boston Bruins via trade for two prospects and a draft pick.
At least Michael Cammalleri was there to pick up where Iginla left off.
Cammalleri scored twice in the second period as the Flames won their eighth straight home game, beating the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The Avalanche lost for the seventh time in eight games, dropped their ninth straight road outing (0-6-3). The loss moves Colorado (11-17-4) four points behind Calgary (13-15-4) in the battle to avoid last place in the Western Conference.
Flames goalie Joey MacDonald, playing in place of Miikka Kiprusoff -- who is also the subject of trade speculation -- picked up his fourth win this season. He wasn't busy for the most part, especially early, and he finished with 27 saves.
Colorado's Ryan O'Reilly managed to make it close by scoring a power-play goal on a five-on-three late in the third period, but the furious comeback attempt fell short as the Avalanche couldn't get the tying goal.
The visitors showed some brief life early in the second period after falling behind 2-0. Jamie McGinn pounced on a rebound in the slot off a P.A. Parenteau shot and buried it.
That was just the Avalanche's fifth shot of the game, but the Flames took the momentum right back.
Just 12 seconds later, Cammalleri scored the first of his pair by ripping a shot past Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov off a bouncing rebound in the slot.
A few minutes later, it was Colorado's turn for a fortunate bounce. Gabriel Landeskog sent the puck toward the net from the left-wing corner, and MacDonald couldn't handle it, and it trickled through him.
Cammalleri restored the two-goal lead on a move that has made him a living in the NHL. Parked on the right wing, the little winger went down to one knee to rip a one-timer from a sharp angle.
The Flames got on the board first, striking on the power play 8:10 into the contest. Jiri Hudler fought off his check in front of the crease to whack the puck past Varlamov for an early 1-0 lead.
The Flames are 11-5-1 when scoring first this season, and the Avalanche have only opened the scoring in nine of their 32 games this season.
It wasn't long before the visitors were down 2-0 thanks to an unfortunate bounce. Flames winger Steve Begin got credit with his second goal this season after sending a backhand toward the slot that ricocheted off Avalanche defenseman Ryan O'Byrne's skate and proved too tricky for Varlamov to handle.
NOTES: By sitting out, Iginla's 441-game ironman streak ended. It dated back to the 2006-07 season. ... O'Reilly faced the Flames for the first time since signing a two-year, $10 million offer sheet with Calgary as a restricted free agent in late February. The Avalanche matched the offer, ending O'Reilly's contract holdout. "Obviously, I have a great deal of respect for (the Flames) and I really appreciate them seeing and believing in me that I'm the player that they thought I was," O'Reilly told reporters after Wednesday's morning skate. "It's a unique situation in that I didn't know where I was going to end up, but I just wanted to get back to playing hockey." In his first 13 games this season, O'Reilly has 13 points. ... With the Flames returning to Calgary at 2 a.m. MT after Tuesday's road loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, coach Bob Hartley canceled the morning skate and let the team sleep in. ... This was the first of back-to-back road outings for the Avalanche, who finish up Thursday in Vancouver. In the first night of five back-to-back outings, the Avs are 0-5.
