NHL: Calgary 5, Vancouver 3

CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Mark Giordano scored the first of Calgary's three opening-period goals Thursday and the Flames held on down the stretch to defeat Vancouver 5-3.

After taking a 3-0 lead after one period, Calgary saw the Canucks fight back to within 4-3 on a goal by Alexandre Burrows just 41 seconds into the third.

Miikka Kiprusoff was perfect in goal the rest of the way, however, en route to a 37-save performance. Dion Phaneuf finally clinched the Calgary victory by scoring into an empty net with 63 seconds to play.

Rene Bourque and Adam Pardy scored the other first-period goals for Calgary, which finished second behind Vancouver last year in the Northwest Division. Both teams eventually lost to Chicago in the playoffs.

Vancouver goaltender Roberto Luongo, starting his 10th NHL season and the recipient of a 12-year contract extension this week, allowed four goals on 22 shots.