Calgary wins impressively, 5-3, over Washington

WASHINGTON— Having reached the desperation point in their bid to make the playoffs, the Calgary Flames no doubt wish they could get bonus points for a dominating road win against the top team in the league.

One day after captain Jarome Iginla said the Flames need to “run the table” to get into the postseason, Calgary posted one of its most impressive victories of the season, scoring four goals in the first period of a 5-3 win Sunday against the Washington Capitals.

The Flames salvaged a three-game trip that began with two losses. The win moved them to within four points of eighth-place Colorado and within five of the seventh-place Kings in the Western Conference.

Ales Kotalik, Ian White, Jay Bouwmeester, Niklas Hagman and Rene Bourque scored for the Flames, who looked done when they were shut out, 5-0, at Boston on Saturday. Miikka Kiprusoff, who was pulled in the third period of the loss to the Bruins, made 31 saves against the Capitals as Calgary won in Washington for the first time in 11 years.

Alex Ovechkin got his 46th goal for Washington and also had an assist to reach the 100-point mark for the fourth time in his five-year career. David Steckel and Mathieu Perreault also scored for the Capitals, who lost at home in regulation for only the fifth time in 36 games this season.

-- Associated Press