Hanowski Scores But Wild Top Flames Monday

Less than a week after playing for SCSU in the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh, Little Falls native Ben Hanowski made his NHL debut for the Calgary Flames and scored a goal in a 4-3 loss.

Wearing #58 for the Flames, Hanowski used his size to jam home a puck past Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom at 11:19 of the third period that cut the Wild lead to 4-2.

Mikko Koivu scored his tenth of the season just over two minutes into the first period for a 1-0 Wild lead that would hold up into the first intermission.

Jason Pominville notched his thirteenth of the year at 11:13 of the second period for the middle frame's only goal to make it 2-0 Wild after two.

Jiri Hudler got the Flames on the board and cut the Minnesota lead in half with a goal at 3:42 of the third period on a slick give-and-go play. However, Pierre-Marc Bouchard responded just 11 seconds later for a 3-1 Minnesota lead.

Pominville got his second goal of the game for the Wild just 1:13 later for a 4-1 lead. Hanowski's goal made the score 4-2, and a late Sven Baertschi goal with 40 seconds remaining made it interesting, but the Wild held on for the win.

Minnesota improves to 23-16-3 with the win, good for sixth place in a packed Western Conference playoff race.