SPORT / MISCELLANY
Flames rebound with big win
Fast start enables Kings to defeat Islanders
Published: Feb 27, 2022 05:39 PM
Calgary Flames' Brad Richardson (center) and Minnesota Wild's Jared Spurgeon (left) battle for the puck in Calgary, Canada on February 26, 2022. Photo: AFP

Calgary Flames' Brad Richardson (center) and Minnesota Wild's Jared Spurgeon (left) battle for the puck in Calgary, Canada on February 26, 2022. Photo: AFP


Matthew Tkachuk and Tyler Toffoli each had two goals and an assist and the Calgary Flames defeated the visiting Minnesota Wild 7-3 on Saturday night.

Blake Coleman added a goal and an assist for the Flames, who bounced back from a 7-1 loss to the Canucks on Thursday that ended a 10-game winning streak.

Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves for Calgary, which has won 11 straight at the Saddledome, tying a franchise record.

Frederick Gaudreau scored in his second straight game for the Wild, who have lost 5-of-6 and finished 1-3 on their road trip. Kaapo Kahkonen made 28 saves.

Nick Bjugstad got behind the defense and scored from the bottom of the left circle to pull the Wild within 5-2 at 13:25 of the third period. Kirill Kaprizov beat Markstrom from a sharp angle at 14:35 to make it 5-3, but Tkachuk and Toffoli scored empty-net goals for the 7-3 final.

Calgary outshot Minnesota 18-4 in the first period, but Gaudreau gave the Wild a 1-0 lead just 1:36 into the game when he redirected Jon Merrill's shot from the point. Gaudreau has 11 points in his past 12 games.

The Flames tied it at 10:29 when, with a Wild player rushing to the bench for a stick, Toffoli skated unguarded into the right circle and converted a cross-ice pass from Rasmus Andersson.

Kahkonen made the initial save on Tkachuk during a power play, but Tkachuk knocked in his own rebound to give Calgary a 2-1 lead at 11:49.

Tkachuk has 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists) on home ice this season.

Erik Gudbranson made it 3-1 with a one-timer from the point at 17:42.

The Wild outshot the Flames 14-8 in the second period and appeared to have the momentum, but Andrew Mangiapane scored on the rebound of Coleman's shot to increase the lead to 4-1 at 16:44 of the second period, his second goal in two games.

Also on Saturday, Phillip Danault and Matt Roy scored fewer than five minutes apart early in the first period for the host Los Angeles Kings, who remained red-hot by cruising to a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders.

Quinton Byfield and Brendan Lemieux scored in the second period and Trevor Moore collected an empty-netter in the third for the Kings, who swept a back-to-back set - they beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Friday night - to extend their winning streak to five games.

Los Angeles remained three points behind the first-place Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division and increased their lead over the third-place Vegas Golden Knights to three points.

Goalie Cal Petersen made 26 saves.

Anders Lee scored in the second period and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored late in the third for the Islanders, who fell to 1-1-1 on a five-game Western Conference road trip.

New York also lost star center Mathew Barzal, who appeared to get his left leg twisted when he got tied up with Danault with 8:25 left in the second. Barzal needed help getting off the ice yet returned just three minutes later, but he played one shift before heading back to the locker room.