Calgary Flames' Curtis Glencross (R) celebrates his goal with teammate Lee Stempniak during the third period of their NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche in Calgary, Alberta, December 8, 2011.TODD KOROL/Reuters
Olli Jokinen scored the winner at 15:10 of the third period Thursday as the Calgary Flames defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2.
Curtis Glencross, with a goal and an assist, and Lee Stempniak had the other goals for Calgary (13-13-2). Brendan Morrison added two assists.
Matt Duchene and T.J. Galiardi replied for the Avalanche (13-14-1).
Miikka Kiprusoff made 16 saves in the win, while Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 32 shots in defeat.
Jokinen capped off a nice-three way passing play that started with Glencross and ended with Jarome Iginla's cross-ice feed.
A miserable 0-for-5 evening on the power play for the Flames through two periods turned around in the third as Calgary connected on both ends of a double-minor for high-sticking to Galiardi.
Morrison's nice touch pass back to Stempniak was rifled into the top corner past Giguere at 6:21.
Morrison was the playmaker again on the man advantage at 7:47. Coming off a four-point game on Tuesday night, the veteran forward zipped a pass into the slot that Glencross neatly deflected over Giguere's shoulder.
Colorado fought back to tie it 2-2 just over two minutes later when Galiardi snapped a shot past Kiprusoff from 30 feet out.
The game was scoreless for the first 35 minutes before Colorado finally opened the scoring.
From behind his net, Flames defenceman T.J. Brodie attempted to clear the puck around the glass and out, only to have it kept in at the blue-line by Colorado defenceman Jan Hejda.
The puck went to Duchene, who curled into the slot and with a crowd of bodies in front fired a wrist shot from 20 feet out that beat Kiprusoff high on the blocker side.
Notes: The return of Glencross (flu) bumped rookie centre Roman Horak to the press box. Glencross rejoined a line with Iginla and Jokinen. Morrison, who had four points in that spot Tuesday night, moved to centre between Alex Tanguay and Rene Bourque. ... Colorado linemates Chuck Kobasew and Jay McClement both played in career games No. 500. ... The Avalanche were without defenceman Ryan Wilson (head) and centre Kevin Porter, who began serving his four-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit on Vancouver's David Booth. ... Calgary won for just the second time when trailing a game after two periods (2-10-0). ... It was Calgary's ninth straight win over Colorado. ... The Flames are last on power play at home.