CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames seem to be more comfortable when theyre against the ropes. Joe Colborne capped off a thrilling game, scoring the only goal of the shootout as the Flames overcame a two-goal third period deficit for an improbable 4-3 win over the red-hot St. Louis Blues on Monday. In the shootout, Colborne shot first and beat Jaroslav Halak on a deke for his third goal on four attempts this season. Reto Berra secured the victory in net by denying TJ Oshie, Derek Roy and Magnus Paajarvi. "Weve been doing it all year," said Colborne. "It seems like when we have a lead going into the third period, were more nervous than we are when we come in and were down." Flames captain Mark Giordano forced the shootout, dramatically tying the game with five seconds left in the third period. Patrick Berglunds holding penalty gave Calgary a power play for the final 1:37 of the third. Flames coach Bob Hartley added more pop to his offence by pulling Berra, making it a six-on-four situation. The ploy worked as Calgary poured on the pressure. At one point after a slick passing sequence, rookie Sean Monahan -- staring at an empty net -- had the tying goal roll off his stick. No matter, Hudlers long diagonal pass was one-timed in by Giordano, sending the sell-out crowd of 19,289 into a frenzy. "I was just hoping he saw me because I saw the lane open right up," Giordano said. "When I saw it coming over and he laid it nice and flat for me. I just obviously tried to get a shot on net and it was a really good feeling to see that one go in for sure." Hartley likes his teams determination when its behind. "We know the trademark of our team. Credit goes to our players. They never quit," Hartley said. "We dont want to fall behind but we always feel as a coaching staff that we keep supporting those guys and they always come up with a big goal, a big effort." After the game Hartley emphasized the importance of heading in to the holiday season on a high note. "This morning, I told them. I know its one game out of 82 but the last game before Christmas, its always special," said Hartley. "Youre going home, your families will be around and many times they talk to you about your last game. So, for our players, to go back in their families, theyll have plenty to talk about." Among the conversation starters will be defeating the Blues when they score first as they did -- St. Louis entered the night 21-1-2 when that occurs, and when they lead after two periods as they did -- they entered the night 16-0-2 in that scenario. The Flames lead the league in one-goal games, the latest being a 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday in which a third period comeback came up short. Hudler and Mike Cammalleri also scored for Calgary (14-17-6) on Monday. The win kicked off a five-game homestand for the Flames and also snapped a three-game winless skid. Kevin Shattenkirk, Jaden Schwartz and Paajarvi scored for St. Louis (24-7-5) in regulation. The Blues took three out of four points in Alberta and head home 5-1-2 in their last eight. "Its uncharacteristic but a learning lesson for us," said Blues captain David Backes. "We played a team tonight that played their butts off and was on an uphill trajectory all game. They got better as the game went on and we plateaued and took out foot off the gas a little bit." The Blues looked like they had the game well under control when goals 44 seconds apart in the second period from Schwartz and Paajarvi broke open a 1-1 tie and sent St. Louis to the intermission up by two. "Teams in the west will take it to you if you let your foot off the gas and this team is no different. A little credit to them but were going to look inside our room and make sure were better next time we come out," said Backes. Blues coach Ken Hitchcock spoke only briefly and echoed what his captain said. "We lost composure with the puck. We made some puck errors. We got caught not clearing pucks at the end. We had full control of the hockey game," said Hitchcock. "We were just winding the game down and made some puck errors and the next thing you know it was in our net." Berra had 32 saves, while Halak made 26 stops. Notes: Flames centre Matt Stajan left the game late in overtime after a knee-on-knee collision with David Backes, who was penalized for kneeing on the play. There was no update after the game on his condition. ... Calgary announced that Curtis Glencross (high ankle sprain), who earlier in the year missed 15 games with a knee injury, will miss eight weeks while D Kris Russell (sprained knee) will miss the next 4-6 weeks. Also out is C Blair Jones (knee, indefinite). That left D Derek Smith as the lone healthy scratch... Taking Russells spot on the Calgary blue-line was Chris Breen.... With Alex Steen (upper body) out for the Blues, 20-year-old Dmitrij Jaskin, recalled from Chicago (AHL), made his season debut and played alongside Oshie and Backes. Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys . 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Beckham hit .267 with five home runs and 24 RBIs over 103 games last season, his fifth with the White Sox. TORONTO – Two months ago, the Maple Leafs management team deemed that Randy Carlyle was the “right person” to continue lead their team, but felt the need for change somewhere in light of another late season spiral. Three assistant coaches were fired that day in early May – in a unique move that saw the head coach remain – replaced Friday by Marlies coach Steve Spott and longtime Predators assistant Peter Horachek in a bid to further alter the atmosphere of a team deemed to be requiring “culture change” by MLSE president Tim Leiweke. “Im not the big culture change kind of guy,” said general manager Dave Nonis, shortly after the announcement of the new two new assistants. “I think you cant flip a switch with two coaches and say that everythings going to be different. I think people bring things to the table that either help you achieve success or dont. These guys theyve shown in the past that they can do that.” Carlyle bellowed long and loudly for change last year, frustrated by his clubs inability to compete to a level he deemed appropriate. Weak foundations – poor defensive play, possession and penalty killing – were propped up by terrific goaltending, a mostly potent power-play and a dominant first line. He saw the flaws early, but ultimately was unable to affect much change as the year lingered on. “6-1 is only a stat,” he said in mid-October after his team won six of its first seven games. “Its a nervous time in the coaches office because of the shot differential and the quality of chances that were giving up.” Employment of personnel didnt help matters, particularly an overreliance on veterans like Jay McClement and an underuse of young players on a fourth line fronted by heavyweight Colton Orr. Somewhere along the way his message didnt stick or perhaps grew stale. In shaking up the assistants who surround Carlyle, management is hoping that will change. “Part of the changes that we are looking to make is in the atmosphere and thats not a knock on the other coaches because they had their strengths for sure,” said Nonis. “But relationships and developing relationships with the players is probably as big an issue now around the league as anything. Players have to want to play for you. I think these guys have had a pretty good track record in that regard.” Leaf players were surprised by the late spring firings of Dave Farrish, Greg Cronin and Scott Gordon, particularly Farrish whose fate was thought to be tied to Carlyle, his longtime associate. Farrish, who ran the defence and Torontos sixth-ranked power-play, was known as a lighter voice in the room – a stark contrast to the harder-edged Carlyle – capable of brightening the mood in dark times.? Cronin and Gordon, who led the Leafs once hopeful but ultimately disastrous penalty kill, appeared to be sounding boards, often locked into long conversations with players after practice (Gordon on multiple occasions with Phil Kessel). Management deemed that their replacements have previous head coaching experience – Farrish, Cronin and Gordon were all head coaches themselves prior to coming to Toronto – believing that to be valuable in support of Carlyle. Both new hirings will be expected to share in dealings with the media, a considerable change from recent years where assistants under both Carlyle and Ron Wilson were consistently unavailable to press. “I think if youve walked in those shoes before it makes it easier to help,” said Nonis of head coaching experience. It wasnt immediately cleear how duties would be split between Spott and Horachek – one will likely run power-play, the other penalty kill as with most clubs – but Nonis indicated Carlyle playing a “big or bigger role than hes had in the past” in terms of special teams.dddddddddddd. Spott, who did a terrific job guiding the youthful Marlies to within one game of the Calder Cup final, will be relied upon for his experience in guiding Torontos young talent. Management viewed him as a candidate to join the NHL staff from the outset, waiting to make their interest clear until his team was quieted in a Western Conference final loss to the eventual champs from Texas. “It wasnt just veterans carrying the ball,” Nonis said of Spotts success as a first-year American League coach. “He used young players all the time. He put them in different situations. He allowed some of those players to grow despite some mistakes that they were making.” Formerly the bench boss in Kitchener and the Canadian World Jr. team (2013), Spott has coached prospective Leafs like Petter Granberg, Carter Ashton, Stuart Percy, and Peter Holland, not to mention current Leafs such as Nazem Kadri, Morgan Rielly and David Clarkson, the latter maintaining a close relationship with Spott. The Leafs appear to be trending younger, team president Brendan Shanahan speaking earlier in the week of his desire for “our young players…to have job opportunities”. “We need our young players to have an impact,” Nonis said. “The assistant coaches will have a major role in that.” The Leafs continue to view Spott as a future NHL head coach. Horachek, a native of Stoney Creek, Ontario, spent nine seasons as an assistant to Barry Trotz in Nashville before being fired in 2013. He resurfaced as a head coach with the AHLs San Antonio Rampage the following season before ascending to the top job with the Panthers when Kevin Dineen was let go. The 54-year-old boasts an IHL championship from his days as the lead man in Orlando (Carlyle was the head coach of the IHLs Manitoba Moose at the time). Boasting a mismatched roster in Florida with uneven goaltending last season, Horacheks Panthers had awful special teams – last in both power-play and penalty kill – but decent possession numbers considering the talent. “Hes a firm guy,” Nonis said of Horachek, consulting with longtime Predators general manager David Poile prior to the hiring. “I think hes kind of a no-nonsense coach, but hes very well groomed. Hes got a players background and again a very long and I think impressive coaching background. “When it came down to it he was the guy that really fit the type of coach we needed and we feel that Randy needs as well.” In reconstructing their roster this summer the organization went hard after players with solid leadership and character credentials – Stephane Robidas, Dan Boyle and Josh Gorges among the targets – seemingly concerned by the mix that fell hard out of the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. In adding Spott and Horachek, it appears they are trying to do the same with a coaching staff that missed a step a year ago – albeit with the same head man leading the charge. Consistent in managements view of both hires was their ability to build strong relationships with players, communication not known to be a strong suit of an old-school type like Carlyle. Whether that leads to a more consistent and successful product on the ice remains to be seen. ' ' '