NHL
Scores/Schedules
Standings
Statistics
Transactions
Injuries
Players
Weekly lineup
Video Highlights

  Thursday, Jan. 6 8:30pm ET
'Hawks keep Flames under .500
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

CHICAGO (AP) -- After going 10 months without a goal, Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Boris Mironov picked a good time to score Thursday night.

Mironov and Steve Sullivan had a goal and two assists Chicago's 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. The goal was Mironov's first in 23 games this season and first as a member of the Blackhawks.

"Of course you feel much better when you score. I waited for the last 23 games," said Mironov, who last scored on March 3 while with Edmonton. "Before the game (associate coach) Lorne (Molleken) said I was going to score a goal. I hope he says it again tomorrow."

Mironov, acquired in a March 20, 1999, trade with the Oilers, is under pressure to contribute on offense. He held out for 16 games at the start of the season before signing a three-year, $9.6 million contract on Nov. 13.

The Blackhawks, who won for only the fifth time at home in 20 games this season, need lifts wherever they can find them to climb back into the Western Conference playoff hunt.

"Now I hope (goals) come in buckets for him," Sullivan said.

Bryan McCabe, Tony Amonte and Alex Zhamnov also scored for the Blackhawks, who got three assists from Doug Gilmour.

Jocelyn Thibault made 33 saves for Chicago, which denied Calgary a chance to reach the .500 mark for the first time this season.

"Whenever they got chances, they scored," Calgary coach Brian Sutter said. "They didn't have many of them. We had more chances and didn't score"

Valeri Bure and Derek Morris scored for Calgary, which dropped to 9-5-3 in its last 17.

Fred Brathwaite started in goal for Calgary, but was replaced by Jean-Sebastien Giguere at 7:11 of the second period after allowing four goals on 12 shots.

Bure gave Calgary a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal from the left circle at 5:29 of the first period.

McCabe tied it at 9:42, and a power-play goal by Mironov with 35.5 seconds left in the period gave Chicago a 2-1 lead. Mironov scored when he pinched in from the point and one-timed Sullivan's feed.

Sullivan's deflection during a 4-on-4 45 seconds into the second period made it 3-1. Amonte made it 4-1 -- and sent Brathwaite to the bench -- at 7:11 by completing a 2-on-1 break with Doug Gilmour.

Zhamnov made it 5-1 with a power-play goal from the right circle at 5:35 of the third. Morris' power-play goal with 3:30 left completed the scoring.

 


ALSO SEE
NHL Scoreboard

Calgary Clubhouse

Chicago Clubhouse


RECAPS
Carolina 7
Boston 3

New Jersey 6
Buffalo 3

Ottawa 5
Phoenix 2

Atlanta 3
Washington 1

Detroit 5
Nashville 2

Philadelphia 3
NY Islanders 2

St. Louis 4
Montreal 3

Chicago 5
Calgary 2

Los Angeles 4
Florida 2