Box score

CALGARY, Alberta — It's not often a player draws an ovation from his teammates upon entering the dressing room.

Not even for Avalanche captain Joe Sakic.

"That was probably the first one," Sakic said. "I appreciate it from the guys."

The applause was much deserved after another milestone moment in Sakic's 18-season NHL career.

Sakic scored his 600th career goal, flipping a shot into an empty net, and the Avalanche did an award-winning Night of the Living Dead impression Thursday night, rising up for an improbable 7-5 win against the Calgary Flames.

The goal, Sakic's second of the game, stole the spotlight from Milan Hejduk, who recorded his third career hat trick to help the Avalanche twice overcome two- goal deficits at the Pengrowth Saddledome.

"We needed the win in the worst way, so everything about Joe's contributions to our team was special," Avalanche coach Joel Quenneville said. "Probably our most exciting win of the year."

The Avalanche, fighting to stay alive in the Western Conference playoff chase, arrived in Canada with one foot in the grave, and it appeared as though an old friend would nudge them over the edge and start throwing dirt on top.

Alex Tanguay, who averaged more than 43 assists during his six seasons with the Avalanche, had three assists, but he was outdone by Sakic and Hejduk.

Sakic, the 17th player in NHL history to score 600 goals, added three assists, while Hejduk scored twice in the final 2:27 of the second period to tie the score 4-4 heading to the third.

"This team's never quit all year," Sakic said. "We haven't played as well as we would like, but we never quit. It was a great win for us."

The victory moved the Avalanche to seven points of the idle Minnesota Wild for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Avalanche and Flames play again in Calgary on Saturday.

"We're not in a position to sit on this one," Sakic said. "We have to come in Saturday and try to get another two points."

In a game that featured countless momentum swings, the Avalanche ended a five-game losing streak against the Flames, who remained tied with Vancouver atop the Northwest Division.

Brett Clark gave the Avalanche its first lead of the game, 5-4, when his shot from the slot trickled behind Calgary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff 6:54 into the third period.

The officials initially ruled the puck did not cross the goal line, but after a short review, the call was overturned.

"I thought it was good at the start and then (the referee) waved it off," Clark said. "We had to keep playing like it was nothing and just wait for the review. It was very close. Luckily, it went in."

Calgary wasted little time getting even, as Matthew Lombardi blasted a slap shot past Jose Theodore 1:57 later, but the Avalanche refused to wilt.

Hejduk, in the midst of a five- game points streak, capped his big night when he redirected a pass from Ken Klee past

Kiprusoff with 9:44 remaining.

Theodore, playing in relief of starter Peter Budaj, stopped the final three shots he faced down the stretch to post his second victory since Dec. 23.

"When we took the lead the first time in the third, I wanted to keep it there, obviously," Theodore said.

"They had a little break, but after (Hejduk) scored, that's the time where you've got to find a way as a goalie to make that extra save, because we really deserved that win."

Sakic, 37, added a historic exclamation point to the night when he scored with 9.9 seconds remaining.

True to his nature, he celebrated calmly with his teammates as the disheartened sellout crowd filed out of the building.

"It feels good, especially after an important win," Sakic said. "When you look back, you probably wouldn't want to do it on an empty net, but I had no choice."

For the better part of two periods, an empty Calgary net seemed implausible.

Tanguay set up two goals in the first 11:57 of the game as the Flames threatened to trounce the Avalanche for the third time this season.

"It looked like in the first period, it was going to be another blowout," Hejduk said. "Joe scored at the end (of the period) and we played a great second period, battled back."

Building upon Sakic's goal with 21 seconds left in the first, the Avalanche scorched the All-Star Kiprusoff for three goals in a back-and-forth second period.

Andrew Brunette converted a setup from Sakic, and Hejduk scored twice to set up a wild and historic finish.

ETC.: Avalanche tough guy Brad May has yet to get into a fight since his return from shoulder surgery Feb. 8. Doctors have advised May not to fight because of the risk it would pose to his right shoulder. . . . Slumping Avalanche forward Marek Svatos was a healthy scratch for the second game in a row. Svatos has scored two goals during his past 25 games. . . . Sakic extended his points streak to six games (five goals, eight assists). . . . For the second straight game, Avalanche defenseman John-Michael Liles was used sparingly, playing only 8:22.

Avalanche 7, Flames 5

Colorado......1	3	3	-	7
Calgary......2	2	1	-	5

First period — 1, Cal, Iginla 26 (Tanguay, Conroy), 9:48. 2, Cal, Conroy 8 (Tanguay, Hamrlik), 11:57. 3, Col, Sakic 25 (Brunette, Liles), 19:39 (pp). Penalties — Regehr, Cal (holding), 17:16; Regehr, Cal (hooking), 19:30; Richardson, Col, (slashing), 19:50.

Second period — 4, Col, Brunette 20 (Sakic, Richardson), 5:47. 5, Cal, Lombardi 17 (Hamrlik), 7:35. 6, Cal, Iginla 27 (Tanguay, Conroy), 15:09. 7, Col, Hejduk 19 (Brunette, Sakic), 17:33 (pp). 8, Col, Hejduk 20

(Skrastins, May), 19:17. Penalty — Phaneuf, Cal (interference), 15:59.

Third period — 9, Col, Clark 6 (Richardson,

Skrastins), 6:54. 10, Cal, Lombardi 18 (Primeau), 8:51. 11, Col, Hejduk 21 (Klee, Sakic), 10:16. 12, Col, Sakic 26 (Stastny, May), 19:50 (en). Penalty — Sauer, Col, (hooking), 1:40.

Shots — Col 10-17-9 — 36. Cal 12-9-8 — 29. Power plays — Col 2 of 3; Cal 0 of 2. Goalies — Col, Budaj (20 shots-16 saves), Theodore 11-12-1 (15:10 Second, 9-8). Cal, Kiprusoff 28-17-7 (35-29). A — 19,289 (17,439). T — 2:20. Referees — Eric Furlatt, Brad Watson. Linesmen — Shane Heyer, Andy McElman.

600 club

• Players who have scored 600 goals or more in NHL history.

Player Goals Years

Wayne Gretzky 894 1979-1999

Gordie Howe 801 1946-1980

Brett Hull 741 1985-2006

Marcel Dionne 731 1971-1989

Phil Esposito 717 1963-1981

Mike Gartner 708 1979-1998

Mark Messier 694 1979-2004

Steve Yzerman 692 1983-2006

Mario Lemieux 690 1984-2006

Luc Robitaille 668 1986-2006

Dave Andreychuk 640 1982-2006

Brendan Shanahan* 626 1987-2007

Jaromir Jagr* 612 1990-2007

Bobby Hull 610 1957-1980

Dino Ciccarelli 608 1980-1999

Jari Kurri 601 1980-1998

Joe Sakic* 600 1988-2007

* active

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