Kiprusoff injured, Iginla scores 1st goal of season as Flames beat Red Wings 4-1
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Miikka Kiprusoff is one of the most durable goalies in the NHL. Now, the Calgary Flames aren't sure when they'll get him back.
Kiprusoff, who has played in more than 70 games each of the past seven seasons, had to leave a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night after two periods because of a lower-body injury.
"He's going to be re-evaluated (Wednesday). I can't tell you any more," Flames coach Bob Hartley said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kiprusoff made 19 saves and backup Leland Irving stopped all six shots he faced in the third period.
Jarome Iginla, who scored his first goal of the season, talked about what Kiprusoff means to Calgary.
"You take for granted how good he is and how consistent he is," the Flames' captain said. "He's a big part of our team."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dennis Wideman had a goal and an assist, and Curtis Glencross and Mark Giordano also scored for Calgary. Mike Cammalleri had two assists.
"We kind of carried over from our last game (a 3-2 shootout loss to Chicago on Saturday) and did some of the same things," Iginla said. "Our power play was good tonight and our penalty kill was good."
Hartley was happy with the effort.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We talked about how we've done so many good things and we didn't have anything to show for it," he said. "We said if that was the way our team was going to play, we were going to get rewarded."
Johan Franzen scored for Detroit and Jimmy Howard made 19 saves. Howard also stopped Iginla on a penalty shot.
"I thought we did some good things tonight, but we made some mistakes and they shot in our net without any question about it, so we're chasing the game," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Wideman extended Calgary's lead to 3-1 with 24 seconds left in the second period. He beat Howard with a wrist shot from just inside the blue line after Matt Stajan beat Pavel Datsyuk on a faceoff. It was Wideman's second goal this season.
Giordano added a power-play goal late in the third period.
Franzen put Detroit on the board on a power-play goal with 7:23 remaining in the second period. He beat Kiprussoff high to the glove side with a backhand shot from the bottom of the left circle for his third goal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Howard foiled Iginla on a penalty shot with 6:48 left in the second period after Jonathan Ericsson interfered with Iginla on a breakaway chance.
Datsyuk hit the goal post on a rebound almost a minute into the second period during a power play.
Calgary led 2-0 after the first. Iginla opened the scoring 3:24 into the game when he put in a rebound during a goal-mouth scramble for his 517th NHL goal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Always the first of the year, it's nice to get over," Iginla said. "Every single year, you want to get that first one off your back."
Glencross added a 5-on-3 power-play goal with 9:35 left in the first when he tapped a pass from Cammalleri into the open side of the net. It was Glencross' fourth goal.
NOTES: It was Calgary forward Jiri Hudler's first game against his former team after signing a four-year, $16 million contract with the Flames over the summer. Hudler spent seven seasons in Detroit. ... Detroit defenseman Ian White returned after missing five games due to a cut on his left leg. ... According to a report published in the Detroit News, Datsyuk is suing a suburban Detroit man for allegedly using his name and likeness on hockey memorabilia without permission. ... Red Wings center Darren Helm, who has been limited to one game due to a sore back, is expected to see a back specialist. ... Tuesday was the 33rd anniversary of the 1980 NHL All-Star game at Joe Louis Arena.