Johnny Gaudreau scored the overtime winner to give the visiting Calgary Flames a 4-3 roller-coaster victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.
After seeing a lead disappear in the final minute of regulation, the Flames won 23 seconds into overtime when Gaudreau blasted a one-timer for a power-play tally.
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves for the Flames, who have now won four of five meetings this season. They’ll face each other for the fourth consecutive time Wednesday in Calgary.
At the other end, Thatcher Demko stopped 23 shots for the Canucks, who have just one win in eight games — and blew a two-goal lead in this one.
Thanks to Calgary’s penalty parade, the Canucks staked a 2-0 first-period edge, with Tanner Pearson first to hit the scoresheet. One second after their power play ended, Pearson from the slot deflected a Quinn Hughes point shot at the 3:51 mark.
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Then, during a five-on-three advantage, Bo Horvat doubled the lead when he found an open spot in the slot and finished a perfectly executed three-way passing play at 14:44.
Milan Lucic put the Flames on the board with 24.3 seconds remaining in the first period to spark a comeback. Rasmus Andersson carried the puck from his point position all the way behind the net before sending a pass to the slot and Lucic buried the opportunity.
The visitors carried that momentum into the second period and drew even when Elias Lindholm scored just past the midway point of the frame. Andersson intercepted a weak pass in the defensive zone and turned up ice for a rush that ended when he sent a cross-ice pass for Lindholm to bury.
Then came a lucky goal for Dillon Dube to give the Flames a 3-2 lead. After goalie Demko stopped the puck behind his net, Nate Schmidt tried to make a pass, but his effort went off Dube’s stick and into Demko’s feet before bounding into the net at 15:51 of the period.
Just as the Flames appeared poised to win, Brock Boeser tied the game 3-3 with 30.2 seconds remaining. While the Canucks were short-handed but with the net empty, they won a face-off in Calgary territory and Boeser wired a long shot into the net for the equalizer.
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–Field Level Media