The Calgary Flames maintained their strong home form with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, Rene Bourque leading the way for the winners with a brace of goals.
The Flames won for the third time in four games and improved their record at the Pengrowth Saddledome to 8-3-1 with a routine triumph over a Kings team that were playing on the road for just the sixth time this season.
Kings coach Terry Murray admitted the Flames (12-9-1) were well deserving of their victory.
PHOTO: AP
“Calgary is a better team than we are, that’s all there was to it,” Murray told reporters.
“They beat us to every area and controlled the boards, made all kinds of plays whenever they wanted to make plays and are a much better team than we are. We need to improve in a lot of areas if we’re going to compete with them,” he said.
Los Angeles (8-9-3) had played 14 of its first 19 games at home and could not recover from a poor start in losing at Calgary for the 11th time in their last 12 visits.
The Flames out-shot the Kings 35-25 and scored two goals in each period on their way to the easy victory.
Curtis Glencross added a goal and two assists for the Flames.
Michael Cammalleri, Jarome Iginla and David Moss also scored.
Craig Conroy had three assists for the winners.
Both Glencross and Bourque were picked up in the off-season to produce offense and that is exactly what they are doing after taking time to adjust to their new surroundings.
“I’m starting to feel more comfortable now,” Glencross said. “It takes a while to settle in and get to know all the guys. We’ve been together for a few months now. I’m finding that chemistry no matter who I’m playing with and I think this team is on the verge of really getting on a roll, especially with the way we play at home.”
Alexander Frolov and Anze Kopitar scored for the Kings, both goals coming in the third period.
BLUES 1, PREDATORS 0
Chris Mason made 47 saves through overtime and then was perfect in two shootout rounds to carry St. Louis over Nashville on Tuesday.
Mason earned his first shutout of the season and the 13th of his NHL career. He outdueled Nashville’s Dan Ellis, who also posted his first blanking with a 17-save effort, but allowed shootout goals to Dave Perron and Brad Boyes.
Ellis, who made his ninth straight start, picked up his seventh NHL shutout.
Mason clinched the win with stops against Rich Peverley and Ville Koistinen in the shootout, and was sharp in killing off Barret Jackman’s tripping penalty in overtime.
THRASHERS 6, MAPLE LEAFS 3
At Toronto, Todd White scored two goals and Johan Hedberg made 32 saves in Atlanta’s victory.
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