Cory Schneider posts first win as Vancouver's starter in 3-2 victory over Flames

VANCOUVER - Zack Kassian scored in regulation and added the shootout winner as the Vancouver Canucks edged the Calgary Flames 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Kassian scored the decisive shootout goal by deking Flames netminder Miikka Kiprusoff as the showdown session went to an extra shooter for each team. Alex Burrows also scored in the shootout for Vancouver.

Mason Raymond chipped in with a goal for Vancouver in regulation.

Alex Tanguay scored in regulation and had one in the shootout for Calgary while Mikael Backlund also scored for the Flames.

Canucks goaltender Cory Schneider secured the win by stopping Curtis Glencross on the final shootout attempt of the game.

The Canucks (1-1-1) posted their first win of the lockout-shortened season. The Flames (0-2-1) remained winless after three games.

There was no scoring in the first period, and the score was tied 2-2 after the second. The deadlock resulted as Vancouver squandered a 2-0 lead

Schneider and Kiprusoff entered the game looking to redeem themselves. Despite a few gaffes, Schneider was much sharper than in his season-opening effort as he and Kiprusoff both recorded 34 saves.

Schneider was pulled after allowing five goals on 14 shots in Vancouver's 7-3 loss to Anaheim on Saturday, and then watched from the bench as the Canucks lost Sunday in a shootout to Edmonton.

Kiprusoff was sharp in a second period in which the Canucks badly outshot the Flames until the late going. He had allowed nine goals in a pair of losses to the Ducks and San Jose.

Schneider got off to a bit of a shaky start as he mishandled a slow shoot-in that got tangled in his skates in the goal crease. He also caught a break during a Calgary power play after a Jay Bouwmeester shot rang off the post after deflecting off Canuck defenceman Alex Edler's stick in mid-air.

As part of some line juggling, Alex Burrows, usually a winger on the first line, played centre on the second line. Burrows showed some deft passing in the final six minutes of the first period as he sent Jannik Hansen in all alone on Kiprusoff, only to have the Calgary goaltender stop his shot. Burrows also set up Hansen for a one-timer in the high slot, but Hansen could not get much weight on the puck.

In the final minute of the first period, Schneider stopped Blake Comeau from close range and then blocked three shots in succession, by Bouwmeester, Jarome Iginla and Tanguay, to keep the game scoreless after 20 minutes.

The Canucks widely outplayed the Flames in the first half of the second period.

Kassian opened the scoring 6:20 into the second period on a good third effort. He intercepted a Calgary hand-pass, retrieved the puck after his first shot was blocked, and then fired it home. It was Kassian's second goal of the season.

Raymond put the Canucks up 2-0 on a power play exactly two minutes later.

But Tanguay drew the Flames within a goal at the 11-minute mark as he clanked a shot in off a goalpost. It was only Calgary's third shot of the period, while the Canucks had 15 in the period at that point.

A little while later, Schneider got his pad on a puck during a scramble to deny the Flames. A video review upheld the referees' decision that the puck did not go in.

But the Flames managed to draw even as Vancouver took three penalties two minutes 17 seconds apart.

During the span, Calgary had a two-man advantage for one minute three seconds but could not score, and then had another one for 41 seconds. Again, the Flames were denied, but Alex Edler continued Vancouver's penalty string by closing his hand on the puck.

With the Flames enjoying a single man-advantage opportunity, Backlund beat Schneider with a shot low to the stick side, creating a 2-2 tie that stood up after 40 minutes.

The action picked up in the third period as the Flames battled to get the go-ahead goal, enjoying a strong edge in shots. Schneider stopped Iginla with about 12:45 left in the period, and then watched as the Calgary captain put a shot off the outside of the post with just under 10 minutes remaining.

Then Schneider stymied Glencross on a shot from right wing.

The Canucks got a power play, their sixth of the game, with just under six minutes left as Blair Jones was sent off for tripping Chris Tanev into the side boards. But Vancouver could not capitalize and had to endure overtime and a shootout for the second straight game.

Notes: Jordan Schroeder's parents travelled from their Minnesota home earlier Wednesday to see his first NHL game after he was called up from Chicago of the AHL a day earlier. Although Schroeder was assigned to the Wolves, he never left town. He came down with a case of 24-hour flu in the meantime. ... Andrew Ebbett was scratched as Schroeder drew into the Vancouver lineup. Canucks defencemen Cam Barker and Andrew Alberts were scratched for the third straight game. ... Calgary centre Jiri Hudler remained out on bereavement leave following the death of his father. Flames defenceman Chris Butler and centre Roman Horak were scratched after playing the first two games of the season.