Flames forward Eric Nystrom knocks down Chad Kolarik in Thursday's 3-1 win. (Jeff McIntosh/Canadian Press)

Mike Cammalleri counted the winning goal in his pre-season debut with the Calgary Flames, 3-1 winners over the visiting Phoenix Coyotes in front of 19,289 fans at the Pengrowth Saddledome on Thursday night.

Matthew Lombardi and Andre Roy scored the other goals for the Flames.

"I want people to talk about me too," joked Roy, a rugged, low-scoring forward picked up June 20.

Calgary goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff kicked out all nine shots he faced before being lifted in favour of backup Curtis McElhinney, who stopped 13 of 14 shots.

Mikael Tellqvist made 21 saves for the winless Coyotes.

"We don't concern ourselves with the wins or losses at this time of the year," Coyotes head coach Wayne Gretzky said. "You just play hard and focus and get ready for the season and I liked the way our kids worked tonight."

Lombardi opened the scoring 9:37 into the contest, potting a rebound at the left post as he was hit by Coyotes defenceman Logan Stephenson.

It remained 1-0 until Cammalleri redirected a slick pass from Jarome Iginla just 65 seconds into the second period.

"It didn't look too tough, did it," Cammalleri told reporters. "I think most of you guys could have put that one in.

"I kind of just threw my whole frame at the puck and whatever happened, happened. I was trying to sweep it with my stick."

Roy spied a loose puck to the left of Tellqvist and tucked it in the net to make it 3-1 at the 8:35 mark.

"I guess I was in the right spot at the right time," Roy said. "It is just good to contribute once in a while."

Viktor Tikhonov, taken 28th overall by the Coyotes in the June draft, spoiled the combined shutout bid 2:51 into the third period.

"I saw the defenceman just kind of coming close, so I hit the brakes and gave him some room and put it where it needed to go," Tikhonov said.

Tikhonov is the grandson of — and named after — famed Soviet Red Army head coach Viktor Tikhonov.

With files from the Associated Press