HAWKS DOUSE FLAMES
HAWKS | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Calgary | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
CALGARY-- Mark Bell and rookie Mark Cullen each scored twice Friday night as the Chicago Blackhawks beat Calgary 5-2 and ended the Flames' eight-game winning streak.
Chicago weathered a rough first period before scoring three goals in the second to take control. The Blackhawks were called for nine straight minor penalties before Bell tied it 2-2 on Chicago's first power play.
Matt Ellison's shot was knocked down in front by Flames defenseman Robyn Regehr, but Bell whacked the puck past goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff before Regehr could clear it from between his skates.
Just 84 seconds later, Chicago took the lead when Matthew Barnaby placed a perfect shot from the slot inside the post off a pass from Ellison.
Bell added his second goal with 1:12 remaining in the third, completing a tic-tac-toe passing play with Rene Bourque and Kyle Calder.
Chicago, which has won four of five, will play the second game of a five-stop trip in Edmonton on Saturday night against the Oilers.
Roman Hamrlik and Chuck Kobasew scored for the Flames, who fell two wins short of their franchise-record winning streak.
Kiprusoff also had his run streak of seven straight wins stopped. After yielding four goals on 18 shots, he was replaced by Philippe Sauve to start the third period.
Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin made 29 saves, including 11 in the final period to improve to 15-2-2 against Calgary.
The turning point might have been the first period, when Calgary emerged with just a 2-1 lead despite having four two-man advantages. Hamrlik's goal at 4:52 on Calgary's first power play gave the Flames the lead.
However, Cullen tied it at 15:19 before Kobasew put Calgary ahead again during a two-man advantage with 30 seconds left in the first.
Calgary finished 2-for-9 on the power-play while Chicago converted on its only chance.
Blackhawks defenseman Jim Vandermeer left the game in the first period and didn't return after injuring his ankle when he took a shot off the skate from Flames rookie defenseman Dion Phaneuf.