Calgary Flames' Jarome Iginla (L) celebrates his goal with teammate Brendan Morrison during the first period of their NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes in Calgary, Alberta December 6, 2011. REUTERS/Todd KorolTodd Korol/Reuters
Brendan Morrison had two goals and two assists Tuesday night as the Calgary Flames had more than five goals in a game for the first time this season, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 7-6.
Jarome Iginla had a pair of goals an an assist for Calgary (12-13-2), while Lee Stempniak scored and added an assist. Rene Bourque and Mikael Backlund had goals as well.
Eric Staal scored twice for Carolina (8-17-4), while Jiri Tlusty scored the Hurricanes first goal of the night on a penalty shot. Chad LaRose, Tuomo Ruutu and Tim Brent also scored.
The Flames are 4-1-1 in their last six games.
The Hurricanes, winless in seven (0-6-1), play in Edmonton Wednesday night as their four-game road trip continues.
Carolina's recently hired head coach Kirk Muller has lost his first four games behind the bench.
Morrison had been a healthy scratch the past five games but was put back into the lineup to replace Flames winger Curtis Glencross, who was out with the flu.
The 36-year-old took full advantage of the opportunity, skating in Glencross' place on the left wing on a line with Iginla and Olli Jokinen.
The trio was Calgary's best line all night starting with their first shift when Morrison set up Jokinen, who was robbed by Cam Ward. On another close play right after, a near goal had to be reviewed by video replay.
Their next shift was just as good and more productive on the scoreboard with Morrison and Jokinen combining to set up Iginla in front for his eighth goal.
Calgary took a 3-0 lead 42 seconds into the second period when Morrison capped off a three-on-two rush, batting in a loose puck from the edge of the crease.
Morrison capped off his first two-goal game since Oct. 26, 2010 with a pinball-style goal 1:22 into the third period, which put the Flames ahead 5-2.
Morrison's slapshot from off the wing deflected off Carolina defenceman Jamie McBain, ricocheted off the far goal post, went off the leg of Ward and trickled into the net.
It had been a tough year for Morrison who entered the night with one goal and no assists in 10 games.
Off-season knee surgery sidelined him to begin the season. After playing eight games and collecting no points, he went back on injured reserve with the knee still feeling unstable. He missed seven games before returning to the lineup for a pair of games and has been a scratch since then.
Trailing 3-2, Carolina finally got on the scoreboard at 5:39 of the second when Tlusty scored on a penalty shot.
Tlusty was awarded the penalty shot after getting his feet swiped out from under him by diving defenceman T.J. Brodie as he broke in alone on Miikka Kiprusoff. Given a second chance, Tlusty faked a shot, swung wide and fired a shot under the crossbar that sent the water bottle on top of the net flying.
The goal sparked the Hurricanes who drew to within one at 13:16 when Brent hammered in Staal's rebound for his first goal in 18 games.
Calgary regained the two-goal cushion 50 seconds later. Bourque stripped the puck from Derek Joslin at the Flames blue-line and charged the ice, rifling a shot through Ward's legs for his team-leading ninth goal.
Ward had given up five goals on 27 shots in his previous start before getting the last game off. Ward was pulled in the third period after giving up Backlund's power-play goal at 10:57, which made it 6-3. Ward stopped 26 of 32 shots.
Backlund's goal was only the Flames third power-play goal at home this season and ended a 0-for-29 run with the extra man.
Carolina mounted a comeback in the third period, scoring three times in the last seven minutes of the game.
However, it was too little too late, with only five seconds remaining after Staal's second of the night at 19:55 narrowed the gap to one.
Notes: Carolina D Joni Pitkanen (upper body) left the game in the second period and did not return... Calgary LW Curtis Glencross (flu) did not play... With Calgary G Henrik Karlsson placed on the IR, Leland Irving, who was called up from Abbotsford (AHL) on Monday, dressed as the back-up. He wore jersey No. 37... Carolina also had a new back-up in uniform with Mike Murphy recalled from Charlotte (AHL) to replace Brian Boucher (lower body), who was injured Monday in practice... Kiprusoff had stopped the last five penalty shots dating back to Vernon Fiddler's goal for Nashville on Nov. 6, 2008... Calgary's last power play goal on home ice was scored by Bourque on Oct. 26 against Colorado.