Calgary Flames' Dillon Dube (29) passes around St. Louis Blues' Justin Faulk (72) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Walker Duehr made history with his first career NHL goal.
Duehr’s first goal for Calgary on Thursday night broke a scoreless tie in the second period, and the 23-year-old winger who was born in Sioux Falls became the first South Dakota-born player to score in the NHL.
“This shows that anybody who puts their head down and goes to work can achieve pretty great things,” Duehr said.
Dillon Dube scored twice in the third period and Dan Vladar made 25 saves, helping the Flames to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.
Dube broke a 1-all tie, scoring with 9:10 left in regulation and added an empty-netter in the final minutes. Blake Coleman pushed the lead to 3-1 with his eighth goal of the season with 3:56 left.
Calgary has recorded points in 16 of its last 19 games.
Duehr took a pass from Nazem Kadri late in the second period and wristed a shot past goalie Thomas Greiss, who had stopped 61 successive shots over his last three games. Nazem Kadri set up the goal with a pinpoint pass on a 2-on-1 breakout.
Calgary coach Darryl Sutter got a thrill out of seeing, Duehr get his first goal.
“Good for the young man,” Sutter said. “It’s awesome. Everybody always remembers their first.”
Maybe not Duehr.
“I think I blacked out,’ Duehr said. “It was a pretty cool feeling. Something you dream about.”
Duehr was called up over the weekend and made the second start of his career on Tuesday. He played in one game for the Flames in 2021.
“It was special to see the grin on his face,” Dube said. “I train with him and I know him pretty well. I’m happy for him. It’s a special night for sure. You enjoy it when someone does that. It was awesome, especially a big goal like that.”
Duehr’s goal seemed to ignite his teammates. Calgary scored three third-period goals in a span of 5:49.
Vladar, who wears No. 80, improved to 7-4-4 this season.
Jake Neighbours scored for St. Louis, which had won eight of its last nine against the Flames, including a 4-3 overtime decision on Tuesday.
Dube picked up a loose puck in the slot and broke a 1-all tie with his eighth goal of the season. He scored into an empty net with 3:21 left.
“We played a full 60 (minutes,)” Dube said.
Kadri was booed throughout the game. Last year, as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, he collided with St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington in Game 3 of a second-round playoff series and ended Binnington’s season.
The Blues are without Vladimir Tarasenko (hand) and Ryan O’Reilly (foot) for four to six weeks.
Greiss made 36 saves and kept his team in the game over the first three periods.
“He was phenomenal tonight,” Neighbours said. “It’s a little frustrating.”
SIGHTSEEING
Calgary coach Darryl Sutter and his staff went to see the Budweiser Clydesdale horses on a day off in downtown St. Louis on Wednesday.
EXTRA DUTY NOT SO FUN
The Flames lead the NHL with 12 overtime games. They lost to Chicago in OT on Sunday before dropping a 4-3 extra-session decision to the Blues on Tuesday. The Flames are 2-6 in OT periods and 1-3 in shootouts.
UP NEXT
Flames: Continue a five-game trip in Dallas on Saturday.
Blues: Face Tampa Bay on Saturday in the third of seven successive home games.
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