The Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks engaged Wednesday in a Wild West shootout that almost went to a shootout.

But Sami Salo scored 2:46 into overtime to lift the Canucks to a 6-5 victory over the visiting Flames in front of 18,630 fans at General Motors Place. 

Daniel Sedin, right, and twin brother Henrik celebrate a 6-5 Canucks win.
(Chuck Stoody/Canadian Press)

It was Salo's fifth goal of the season and was scored on a slapshot that changed direction when it struck the stick of Flames forward Chuck Kobasew en route to the back of the net. 

"It was nice to get the win," said Canucks forward Daniel Sedin, who made the initial pass on the decisive play. 

Sedin provided one goal and two assists, Mattias Ohlund had three assists, and Roberto Luongo counted 31 saves as the Canucks (19-18-1) took both ends of the entertaining home-and-home series.

Luongo turned aside 26 shots Tuesday night as Vancouver prevailed 3-1 at Calgary, where the Flames had won a franchise-record 10 games in a row dating back to Oct. 30.

"Our win in Calgary was huge," Canucks forward Matt Cooke said. "But it would have meant nothing if we lose [Wednesday]."

With Wednesday's win, Vancouver vaulted into sole possession of first place in the Northwest Division, one point ahead of the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild and Calgary.

"We knew our divisional play wasn't where we needed it to be," Cooke said, mindful that the Flames (17-14-4) have three games in hand.

Cooke finished with one goal and one assist, while Henrik Sedin, Brendan Morrison and Ryan Kesler rounded out the scoring for the Canucks.

"Tonight was just a result of trying to keep it simple," Cooke said.

Kristian Huselius scored twice to lead the Flames followed by Daymond Langkow with a goal and an assist.

"We found a way to get some goals in the third period and get that point," Huselius said.

Byron Ritchie and rookie David Moss also scored and Miikka Kiprusoff made 18 stops, including outguessing Matthew Lombardi on a third-period penalty shot.

"We did a lot of good things," Flames captain Jarome Iginla said. "But it was a game where we could have gotten better.

"We were able to battle back from two goals down twice. So there are a lot of positives."

Twin killing 

Daniel Sedin opened the scoring for Vancouver on a power play 2:32 into the contest, potting a rebound for his fourth goal in

three games and team-high 13th overall.

The Sedin twins later connected on a 2-on-1 break, with Henrik converting Daniel's slick pass at 13:39 of the first period.
 
But the Flames scored twice in a span of 65 seconds to tie it 2-2 midway through the second period.

After Ritchie's third on a wrist shot cut the deficit to 2-1 at 8:55, Huselius banked a rebound off Luongo from a sharp angle to even proceedings at the 10-minute mark.

Vancouver, which had been held without a shot for 15 minutes, responded by scoring on consecutive shots late in the stanza.

First, Cooke burst down the wing and beat Kiprusoff with a backhand shot for the go-ahead goal at 14:09, his first since Oct. 25.

"It has been a long time coming," Cooke said. "But in the last 10-12 games, I felt I was getting into the areas that I needed to get to."

Then, with Ohlund serving a tripping penalty, Morrison tallied shorthanded on a splendid three-way play with Cooke and Willie Mitchell with 3:20 left in the period.

It was Vancouver's first short-handed goal this season.

Yet Calgary rallied with two quick goals as Huselius stripped Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa of the puck and tucked it under the crossbar 51 seconds into the third period before Moss counted the equalizer on a blind backhand during a scramble at 2:12.

"We knew that, even being down two goals, we could still come back," Huselius said. "It was nice to get a couple and tie it."

Langkow put the Flames ahead 5-4 with a power-play goal, spinning and scoring from the slot in a single motion with 4:47 left in the period.

"When you're up by a goal with five minutes left, that's ours to win," Iginla said. "Unfortunately, we didn't shut the door."

"We felt pretty good with the lead going into the third," Kesler said. "But to lose the lead and, all of a sudden, we're down a goal, it was hard to take."

But Kesler knotted it 5-5 with his fifth, knocking in his own rebound from the top of the crease with 3:40 remaining to force overtime.

"To get that goal for me was huge," Kesler said.

The Canucks also defeated the Flames 3-1 at GM Place on Dec. 14.

With files from Sports Network