Anaheim beat West-leading Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks right-wing Patrick Kane (L) skates the puck around the net as Anaheim Ducks defenceman Francois Beauchemin defends during the third period of their NHL game at the United Center in Chicago on Friday. The Ducks won 2-1. (UPI)

Agencies/Chicago

Souray’s drive through a screen from the left point hit the stick of Chicago defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson and deflected past Ray Emery, who suffered his first loss of the season (12-1-0). Anaheim’s Corey Perry scored at 1:15 of the second period in the meeting of the top two teams in the Western Conference, played before a season-high crowd of 22,105 at the United Center.

Anaheim (23-7-4) improved to 50 points, three behind conference-leading Chicago (25-5-3).

Chicago’s Patrick Kane scored a power-play goal at 2:26 of the third period to extend his points streak to eight games. Kane has six goals and nine assists during the span. Anaheim swept its season series from Chicago, winning three games.

Flames crushed by Blue Jackets

While the trade of Jarome Iginla indicates where the Calgary Flames hopes are with one month remaining in the NHL regular season, the Columbus Blue Jackets are still in the playoff hunt and they picked up an important win Friday night.

Vinny Prospal, RJ Umberger and Mark Letestu each had a goal and an assist as Columbus scored four times in the second period in a 6-4 victory over the Flames, snapping Calgary’s eight-game winning streak at home.

“What stands out, out of this game, is the two points, no matter how you get them,” said Prospal. “Sure, maybe coaches or goalie coaches would love for the scoring to be a little lower but for the offensive guys, it’s great.”

Matt Calvert, Derick Brassard and Ryan Johansen also scored for Columbus (14-14-7), which won for the first time in four games to finish 1-2-1 on its four-game road trip. Brian McGrattan, Mikael Backlund, Dennis Wideman and Curtis Glencross scored for Calgary (13-16-4).

“Both ways, it was a little sloppy, it wasn’t a perfect game for either team. In our case, it was a back-to-back, end of the road trip, and sometimes that happens,” said Calvert. “We’ve been finding a way to win these games lately and those are the games that help get you into the playoffs.”

Columbus climbed to within one point of the St Louis Blues for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blue Jackets, who were red-hot with points in 12 straight games prior to heading out on the road, are back home Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks.

In the first game of the post-Iginla era, many of the fans in the crowd, announced as sell-out of 19,289, wore Flames jerseys with the former captain’s name on the back. The Flames’ all-time leading scorer was traded to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night in exchange for a 2013 first-round draft pick and US college prospects Ben Hanowski and Kenneth Agostino.

The appreciative fans gave a standing ovation in the first period when a stirring video tribute to Iginla was played on the jumbotron. The Flames’ players stood, banging their sticks against the boards, and officials didn’t immediately drop the puck to allow the moment to go on a little extra.