"No big-point nights.

Nobody expected it for the Calgary Flames, but it wasn't necessary.

Having somebody on the Flames become the talk of the hockey world with an eight-, nine- or 10-point night wasn't the focus before the puck dropped on their clash with the Chicago Blackhawks at the Saddledome.

"I want our team to get two points," said Flames head coach Brent Sutter early Friday. "They can all get eight points, and I'd be thrilled. But our team needs two points."

Sutter received his wish with a textbook 3-1 victory Friday night to snap a two-game losing skid.

The Flames (24-22-6) pulled into a three-way tie for ninth place in the NHL's Western Conference, three points back of the eighth-place Minnesota Wild.

"We had a stretch against some pretty good teams, so it was a big win for us," said Flames defenceman Jay Bouwmeester, whose second-period powerplay tally ended up the game-winner before the Dome sellout crowd of 19,289 fans.

With the score tied at one apiece late in the middle frame, the Flames received a four-minute advantage after Micheal Frolik's high stick on Tom Kostopoulos drew all kinds of blood."