Amazingly, no luck was required.

The Calgary Flames, reduced to scattered spare parts via a hail of injuries, gave a ringing endorsement of Darryl Sutter's "system" Saturday night in grinding down the mighty Colorado Avalanche to a 1-1 deadlock in front of 16,809 at the Saddledome.

Missing Craig Conroy, Steve Reinprecht and Blair Betts down centre ice, the battered Flames seemed overmatched on the lineup sheet but more than held their own and could have won this contest in overtime had Jarome Iginla's rocket off the inside of the Avs goalpost been a fraction of an inch nearer the mark.

The major difference in this Flames team versus disastrous campaigns of years past has been their overall attention to detail at all corners of the ice, Sutter's "pressure forecheck" seeming to have answers to all questions, riddles and situations including the recent absence of credible bodies.

In that sense, this was the ultimate test of Sutter's philosophy, one of the hottest, free-flowing teams in the league as the opponent yet the Flames limiting the Avs to only 24 shots, including six in overtime.

Through the first 33 minutes of this game, the Avs had generated only six shots, although several close calls in the first period.

Ex-Flame Derek Morris, who could scarcely hide his relief in leaving Calgary a year ago, has noticed the Flames are a different outfit than the one he left.

"Huge difference," said Morris after the game on FAN960. "The biggest difference is they're playing their system to a tee."

Led by the gutty performance of centre Stephane Yelle, a questionable starter given a leg injury in his previous start, as well as the workmanlike 23 save performance of Miikka Kiprusoff, the Flames were able to secure a valuable point as they embark on a tough three game road trip starting next Tuesday in Philadelphia.

The tie leaves Calgary at 14-9-2-3 on the year, good for 33 points and sixth spot in the NHL's tough Western Conference.

Flames are only one point behind fifth place LA and are one point ahead of San Jose.

"I think guys are disappointed we didn't get the two points," said Robyn Regehr after the game, noting the Flames surrendered the late goal to give up a point on home ice.

Calgary entered the game 9-0-0-1 when leading after two periods.

Flames have surrendered one or fewer goals in six of their last seven starts and were ranked seventh overall defensively in the NHL prior to the game.

The low score belied the intense, physical aspect of this game as well as a wow finish as both clubs went end to end exchanging chances.

In the first period, Shean Donovan had a great chance, wheeling through Morris for a close-in chance while only the dexterity of Denis Gauthier in the crease saved the Flames from a Teemu Selanne goal.

"They outplayed us. We played bad." analyzed a blunt Morris. "They took the play to us and our goalie (David Aebischer) played great."

Colorado's Aebischer matched Kiiprusoff save for save for much of this game and added a few more for good measure, the former beaten on a rainbow seeing-eye point shot from Robyn Regehr early in the second and the latter by a pinching Avs defenceman John Michael Liles later in the third period.

It was Iginla though who brought the crowd out of its seats in overtime, taking a Matthew Lombardi feed for a one-timer, ringing the inside of the post behind Aebischer in the best chance of the game.

Flames were zero for four on the power play while Colorado was unsuccessful in two opportunities.

Flames directed 33 shots at the Colorado net.