NHL Playoffs : Late Two-Goal Rally by Blues Beats Flames

CALGARY, Canada â€”  Mark Reeds and Mark Hunter scored goals 66 seconds apart late in the third period Friday night to rally the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames in the opening game of the Campbell Conference hockey final.

The Blues, who played defensively through two periods, overcame a 2-1 deficit in the third. The victory was St. Louis’ sixth in its last seven games against Calgary.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal series will be played Sunday night at Calgary.

Reeds, who scored the Blues’ first goal in the first period, added his second at 14:42 of the third after taking a pass from Doug Wickenheiser.

Hunter, the Blues’ leading scorer during the regular season, got the winning goal at 15:48 when he stepped between three Flames near the blue line and skated in to beat goaltender Mike Vernon for his fifth goal of the playoffs.

“I don’t know what happened,� Hunter said of his move past the group of Calgary players. “It was just one play I got lucky on.�

The Flames, who lead, 2-1, after two periods on goals by Colin Patterson and Hakan Loob, tried to mount an attack in the closing minutes but were unsuccessful.