Giguere has 30 saves as Avalanche top Flames, 4-2

[November 09, 2013]  DENVER (AP) -- Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped 30 shots, Ryan O'Reilly and Paul Stastny had goals and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 4-2 on Friday night.

John Mitchell and Matt Duchene also scored for the Avalanche.

The Avalanche joined the 1995 Quebec Nordiques for the best 15-game start in franchise history. Colorado (13-2) needed 29 games to earn 26 points in last year's lockout shortened season.

Mike Cammalleri had two goals and Mikael Backlund had two assists for Calgary, which has dropped seven of nine. Goalie Karri Ramo made 23 saves for the Flames.

Early, it looked like Colorado would cruise against the struggling Flames.

The Avalanche were up 2-0 after Stastny scored on a 5-on-3 1:09 into the second period, but Cammalleri kept Calgary close. He scored his first goal on a pass from Backlund early in the second, and 2:30 after Mitchell restored Colorado's two-goal lead, he beat Giguere again to make it 3-2 midway through the second period.

He nearly got the hat trick on an 2-on-1 rush late in the period but Giguere made the save.

Giguere had to be sharp again in the third to keep the game from going to overtime. He stopped Cammalleri again on the power play in the first minute of the period and made 13 saves in the frame.

Jiri Hudler had a backhand chance with 2:35 left but Giguere made a sprawling save.

The Flames pulled Ramo for an extra skater with just over a minute remaining but couldn't get the equalizer. Duchene iced it with an empty-netter in the final seconds. It was his 11th goal of the season.

The Avalanche scored first when O'Reilly one-timed a pass from P.A. Parenteau just 5:31 into the game. It was O'Reilly's sixth of the season and extended his goal streak to three games.

NOTES: Avalanche D Ryan Wilson (back) was scratched from the lineup. Nick Holden played in his place against Calgary. Wilson is expected to miss at least two weeks. ... The Flames acquired D Ladislav Smid and goalie prospect Olivier Roy from Edmonton for center Roman Horak and goalie prospect Laurent Brossoit on Friday. Smid is expected to join the team in Calgary on Saturday while Roy will report to Anchorage of the ECHL. ... Duchene missed Thursday's practice with a bruise foot suffered in Wednesday's loss to Nashville.

[Associated Press]

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