First it was the speed of the legs. Then deftness of the hands.

Todd Bertuzzi’s first big dividend as a Flame was a thing of beauty giving the Flames a 3-2ot win Wednesday in Minnesota.

Hopefully the clutch tally will silence the Bert bashers.

Mired in a 19-game goalless string, the winger couldn’t have picked better time to break out.

Moving up left wing, Bertuzzi seeing the chance to make a difference after Daymond Langkow made a superb diving play in the neutral zone batting the puck ahead to the Minnesota blueline.

That’s when Bertuzzi turned on the after burners swooping in on Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom and using his hands to make an intricate move then flipping the puck into the net.

Bertuzzi appeared to end his slump in the 2nd period with the first goal of the game.  After a review, Langkow got credit for the goal.

It was first time this season won games on back-to-back evenings and it was necessary to remain in first place in the NW Division.

Now a clash of the 39-point teams with Chicago at the ‘Dome on Friday.

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