For all Miikka Kiprusoff has done for the Flames lately, this is how they repay him?

Calgary hung its star goalie out to dry for the second time in three nights, pairing indifferent defence with a limp attack in a disappointing loss Sunday in Colorado.

The lacklustre effort sent the Flames to their third straight 3-2 loss to the Avalanche this season. It also cost Calgary the Northwest Division lead — the clubs came in tied with 42 points apiece, but the Flames had top spot because they'd earned one more victory.

Calgary (19-9-4) owes much of its success this season to Kiprusoff, who has allowed a miniscule 16 goals in his last 11 games. But the Flames haven't kept up their end of the bargain, scoring just 10 times in six December contests.

The lack of offence caught up to them this weekend. On Friday night, the Flames wasted a 44-save effort by Kiprusoff, losing 2-1 in overtime to Minnesota. On Sunday, Kiprusoff faced 35 shots while Calgary put just 21 on Colorado's Craig Anderson.

"We played three terrible periods at home [Friday] night, and it carried over for two periods here tonight," said Calgary coach Brent Sutter.

Stick gives out on Iginla

The Flames fell behind 2-0 before Rene Bourque found the net in the second period, but the Avs got it back before Marc Giordano's power-play marker with 6:44 left in the game got Calgary back within one.

That goal seemed to spark the Flames, who finally mounted a spirited attack en route to outshooting their opponents 7-2 in the final period as Colorado tried to sit on its lead. Jarome Iginla had a great chance to tie it with just a few ticks remaining when he loaded up for a one-timer on the off wing, but the captain's stick snapped on the shot and the puck rolled away harmlessly.

"There was a sense of urgency in the third that hadn't been there for five periods," Sutter said.

Wojtek Wolski — on a two-man advantage — Chris Stewart and Darcy Tucker scored for Colorado (19-10-6), which has won four of five since a skid in which it dropped 10 of 13.

"We kept the pressure on and continued to build off that," said Anderson.

Penalty trouble

Calgary put itself behind the eight ball by giving up five power-play chances in the opening frame, including a 5-on-3 for 49 seconds when Curtis Glencross received a double minor for high-sticking with Aaron Johnson already in the box for elbowing.

Kiprusoff faced the ensuing firing squad bravely, even robbing point man Stewart from close range with his glove hand. But Wolski wouldn't be denied on the next blast, drilling one through Kiprusoff's legs from just outside the hash marks.

The Flames really let Kiprusoff down on the next one. If it wasn't enough that Stewart and Paul Stastny were allowed to pass the puck back and forth right in Kiprusoff's face, the Calgary defence made sure to give their goalie no chance by allowing Stewart to convert his own rebound unbothered midway through the second.

Kiprusoff wasn't happy with his teammates' effort, banging his stick on the ice in anger.

Perhaps Bourque got the message, because he replied 77 seconds later with a fine solo effort. Winding his way around the Avs' net, Bourque knocked a pursuing Adam Foote into the net and off his skates, giving himself the space to zip a laser beam of a snap shot over the shoulder of a screened Anderson.

Colorado restored its two-goal lead before the period was out when Tucker batted a bouncing puck past a sprawling Kiprusoff. for his first goal since Oct. 21.