Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson, left, is congratulated by teammate Scott Hannan after the team defeated the Calgary Flames a shootout during NHL hockey action in Calgary, Monday, Jan. 11, 2010. The Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 3-2.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntoshJeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Chris Stewart scored once in regulation and added the deciding goal in the shootout and Craig Anderson made 44 saves as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 Monday.
The shootout was tied 1-1 on goals by Colorado's Milan Hejduk and Calgary's Olli Jokinen when Stewart put the Avalanche ahead on a nifty deke, tucking the puck through the legs of Miikka Kiprusoff.
The Avalanche and Anderson claimed victory when Jamie Lundmark lost control of the puck and failed to get a shot on goal.
It's the fourth straight 3-2 victory for Colorado over Calgary in the season series and moves the Avalanche into a tie with Calgary atop the tightly contested Northwest Division.
Paul Stastny also scored for Colorado (26-15-6), which has won seven of its last nine road games.
Rene Bourque and Dustin Boyd replied for Calgary (26-14-6). The Flames are 6-2-1 in their last nine.
Although he didn't need to make the stop on the final shootout attempt, Anderson was the story on this night as Calgary outshot the Avalanche 46-21, including 17-4 in the third period and 5-1 in overtime.
Flames captain Jarome Iginla was involved in several of the close calls in the third period. In one short stretch, the Flames captain slid a puck under Anderson but wide of an open net, he set up Daymond Langkow's dangerous one-timer that Anderson deflected away, and later he was stopped on a breakaway as he bowled his way to the net but could not jam the puck past Anderson.
Iginla drew a hooking penalty on the breakaway and with the extra man Calgary threatened but Anderson added a couple more spectacular stops, including a highlight reel blocker save off Mark Giordano.
Calgary failed to convert on a 19-second five-on-three advantage it got in overtime when Stastny took a delay of game penalty.
Despite all the chances, the Flames finished 0-for-4 on the power play and are now 0-for-14 over the past five games.
Calgary led 2-0 in the second period when the Avalanche struck for two goals three minutes apart to pull even.
Kiprusoff was screened both times and didn't see either of the shots.
Stastny's 10th goal on an Avalanche power play made it 2-1 at 13:16. John-Michael Liles' slapshot deflected off Stastny in the high slot and found the top corner with Kiprusoff helplessly trying to look around several players crowded in front of the net.
Stewart notched his 14th goal at 16:17, spinning and flinging a harmless-looking wrist shot towards the net that slipped inside the goalpost as Kiprusoff with Kiprusoff's sight blocked out by Paul Stastny and Cory Sarich battling in front.
The tone for the battle for first place in the Northwest Division was set early with three fights inside the opening four minutes.
The scrap that really stirred up the crowd a heavyweight bout between six-foot-six David Koci of the Avalanche and Calgary's six-foot-four Brian McGrattan, whose victory was acknowledged with a thunderous standing ovation from the sell-out crowd of 19,289.
With Calgary ahead 1-0, Brandon Prust and McGrattan made a rare appearance on the scoresheet combining to set up Boyd's sixth goal, which came off a McGrattan rebound.
It was the first point in 27 games for Prust and first in 23 for McGrattan.
Calgary has scored more than three goals just once in the past 20 games.
Notes: The Avalanche do not return to action until Saturday night when they play the New Jersey Devils to open up a five-game homestand... Colorado captain Adam Foote (ankle) missed his second game... Calgary LW Fredrik Sjostrom was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row and remains at 399 career NHL games... Iginla is three assists away from tying Theoren Fleury for second on the Flames all-time list (466).