With only 27 games left on the schedule and the Flames in the middle of four teams tighter in the standings then a midway crowd at the Stampede, every game is a big one.

Even so the Flames chose to mix things up from their 5-2 triumph over the Atlanta Thrashers last night by starting the befuddled Saddledome heckle target Roman Turek in a game pretty much set up for a loss.

Tough team, enemy rink, second game in back to back nights and a Flames team that have done everything but put a positive string together in the last month and a half.

So much for best laid plans.

Roman Turek was key in making 13 third period saves, leading the Flames to a 3-2 victory in Vancouver on Wednesday night, the club's second win in as many nights.

The Flames came out strong in this one, controlling the play and coming close only to be foiled by Canucks stopper Dan Cloutier in the game's first ten minutes.

All that work didn't pay off however, when the Canucks struck first on a 5 on 3 powerplay with Sami Salo's blast beating Turek to put the home side up 1-0.

The man advantage was set up by a needless penalty to Dean McAmmond, a call that had the player sat down by coach Sutter for stretches, despite his two goal heroics the night previous.

Two minutes later the Canucks doubled their lead when Turek was caught flat footed in his crease leaving a goal to Vancouver pest Jarkko Ruutu.

Later in the period the Canuck's were pressing again, but Turek managed to foil Todd Bertuzzi twice giving way to a Flame rush that had Craig Conroy narrow the lead to 2-1.

"We were very fortunate to be up 2-0", said Canuck coach Marc Crawford, "they took some bad penalties and we managed to score twice".

"They scored an early on in the third and we spent the rest of the period trying to solve him (Turek). We probably got what we deserved tonight".

The Flames tied the score in the second period when Chuck Kobasew scored his 3rd of the season on a Calgary powerplay, the club's first man advantage goal since Jarome Iginla's first period powerplay goal against Los Angeles last week ... a stretch that saw the club go 15 straight without scoring.

Speaking of Mr. Iginla, the Flames' captain managed to pop the winner tonight, firing a shot past Cloutier just 28 seconds into the third period leaving Turek to steal the show and seal the win for the Flames.

The visitors were out shot by a 13-6 mark in the final stanza leaving the club's "road" goaltender to come up again and again to preserve the improbable victory.

The win moves the Flames back to eight games over .500 and on pace for 90 points once again. The Flames haven't been nine games over .500 since January 10th when the defeated the Florida Panthers in the Saddledome. The club has never reached the ten game over .500 mark this season.

Up next for the Flames is a home date against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks on Friday night, a chance for the Flames to win three games in a row and really put a firm grip on one of the conference's eight playoff spots.