Recap: Flyers Fall in Shootout After Controversial Call

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) – Rene Bourque notched the winner in the shootout as Calgary nipped Philadelphia, 3-2.

After Mike Richards was unable to score on the backhand to start the third round, Bourque was able to beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a snapshot inside the left post to end the contest.

Curtis Glencross and Steve Staios scored in regulation for the Flames, who stopped a three-game losing streak

Miikka Kiprusoff made 34 stops for the win.

"They’re really one of the top teams in the league and it was a big challenge for us," Kiprusoff said of the Flyers, who entered play tied with Washington for the best record in the NHL. "We talked about it before the game and we’ve been working pretty hard, but the last two games, we weren’t able to get wins there. We have to keep pushing and play as a team and we woke up."

James van Riemsdyk and Nikolay Zherdev tallied for the Flyers, who saw their three-game win streak snapped. Bobrovsky made 28 saves in the loss.

"I think that we played a hungry hockey team. I think we’re capable of playing better," said Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette. "I wouldn’t say we stole a point. We didn’t generate a whole lot offensively."

Philadelphia appeared to have won the game in overtime, but were short-changed by a questionable call.

Flames defenseman Mark Giordano was sent to the box for holding the stick with 2:17 left in the extra session, giving the Flyers a 4-on-3 advantage. A potential game-winning shot sailed under the crossbar with 1:35 left but was disallowed when backliner Chris Pronger, who screened Kiprusoff on the score but didn’t touch the netminder, was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

"It doesn’t really matter, does it. I’m not going to get into ‘he said, she said’ with the refs," said a visibly angry Pronger shortly after the game. "The puck went into the net. It (the call) was five seconds after the shot went in. I wasn’t turned to him (Kiprusoff), waving my stick in his face."

Kiprusoff was then forced to make a diving stick save with just over a minute left, as Philly defenseman Kimmo Timonen had the open top portion of the net wide open, but shot low.

"Yeah, I got that save, their guy was pretty open and I found a way to get it," Kiprusoff noted of his game-saver. "Kimmo had a wide open net there but he took his time and I was able to just make a desperate save with my stick."

Following a scoreless first period, the Flyers got on the board at 3:09 of the second when Zherdev made a quick stick move in the slot and ripped a wrister by Kiprusoff from the edge of the right circle.

Glencross tied the game on a partial short-handed breakaway with 6:44 left in the second, scoring on a backhand with Richards draped on his back.

However, van Riemsdyk was on the doorstep to convert a Richards feed 1:45 later and the home team led 2-1.

Calgary knotted the game with 7:09 played in the third period as Staios’ quick shot off a dish from Alex Tanguay fooled Bobrovsky.

Game Notes

Calgary has won four of the last five games at Philadelphia since March, 2002…Van Riemsdyk tied his career best with goals in three straight games, first accomplished from November 12-18, 2009…Flames forward Olli Jokinen played in his 900th NHL contest…Calgary defenseman Jay Bouwmeester extended his NHL-best consecutive-games streak to 446.

Flyers Face Flames In Matinee At Well Fargo Center

(Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers will shoot for a fourth straight victory when they welcome the Calgary Flames for a matinee at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Atlantic Division-leading Flyers have won three straight and Peter Laviolette's club has six victories in its last eight trips to the ice.

Philly is back home after posting a blowout victory Wednesday night in Minnesota. Danny Briere, Andreas Nodl and Ville Leino each posted a goal and assist each to lift the Flyers to a 6-1 victory over the Wild.

Jeff Carter and Jody Shelley also lit the lamp for the Flyers, while Sergei Bobrovsky needed to make just 15 saves for his 12th win of the season.

"Well I don't know if it's simple, but the guys are working really hard," said Laviolette. "There is confidence in what we are doing. We tried to carry that over from last year. We've got good players in the locker room. They work hard, they're consistent in their work ethic."

The Flyers will play tomorrow in New Jersey, but three of Philadelphia's next four games will be on home ice. The Orange and Black are 9-4-0 as the host this season and have won eight of their last nine in south Philly.

Calgary, meanwhile, will try to avoid losing their fourth straight decision to begin a five-game road trip. The Flames are 0-1-2 on the swing so far and have lost six of seven and 10 of 12 overall.

The Flames, who will complete their trip tomorrow in Pittsburgh, are just 3-6-2 away from Calgary this season.

Calgary was dealt a loss Wednesday by the New Jersey Devils, who are one of just three NHL teams with less points than the Flames this year. Ilya Kovalchuk netted the only goal in the shootout, lifting the Devils to the 2-1 victory at Prudential Center.

"When you're not winning with consistency, like right now, it's finding ways to go against us," said Flames winger Alex Tanguay said. "We have to keep battling through it. The breaks are going to come our way sooner rather than later."

Rene Bourque tallied for the Flames, while Henrik Karlsson stopped 20-of-21 shots before suffering the defeat in his first career shootout. Karlsson gave Miikka Kiprusoff a rare night off, but Calgary's No. 1 netminder is expected to be back between the pipes tonight.

Flames forwards Craig Conroy and Matt Stajan are questionable for today's game. Conroy has missed the last two tests with a shoulder injury, while Stajan sat out Wednesday's game due to an upper-body issue.

The Flyers notched a 3-0 win in Calgary in last year's lone meeting between the clubs. Philly has taken three of four overall in the series, but the Flames have won three of their last four games in the City of Brotherly Love. Calgary posted a 5-1 victory the last time it played in Philadelphia on Mar. 5, 2009.