Flames bounce back with 5-1 victory over Ducks
By Joe Reedy, The Associated Press on March 21, 2023.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Tyler Toffoli had three assists, Calgary scored twice on the power play and the Flames bounced back from a six-goal loss one night earlier with a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Toffoli has nine points in the past four games, including six assists. Nick Ritchie, Troy Stecher, Rasmus Andersson, Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane scored Calgary’s goals. Mikael Backlund had a pair of assists and Dan Vladar stopped 19 shots for the Flames, who rebounded from an 8-2 defeat Monday night in Los Angeles. Frank Vatrano scored Anaheim’s lone goal. John Gibson made 38 saves, facing more than 40 shots for the 20th time this season. Calgary has 12 goals with the man advantage over the past month, which is fifth in the NHL. Andersson put Calgary up 3-0 less than three minutes into the third period on a one-timer off Toffoli’s pass. It was Andersson’s 11th goal and his third in the past six games. Mangiapane scored on a breakaway with less than five minutes remaining for his 12th. The Flames grabbed the lead 37 seconds into the game when Ritchie put in the rebound after Gibson made a pad save on Noah Hanifin’s shot from the point. Ritchie’s 12th of the season marked the sixth time this season Calgary has scored in the opening minute. Stecher broke a 90-game goal drought at 16:50 of the first with a snap shot from the right faceoff circle to the high side of the far post. Stecher – whose last goal was on Feb. 17, 2022 – has three points (one goal, two assists) since being acquired from Arizona at the trade deadline. Anaheim got on the board five minutes later when Vatrano lifted a wrist shot over Vladar’s shoulder on his glove side. Vatrano’s 17th marked only the second goal in Anaheim’s last 15 power-play opportunities. Lindholm scored his 21st and gave Calgary a 4-1 lead 46 seconds into the third on a one-timer. NOTES: Hanifin extended his point streak to six games with the first assist on Ritchie’s goal. He has six points (two goals, four assists) during that span. … Calgary defenseman Chris Tanev was scratched an hour before the game due to an upper-body injury. … Anaheim forward Nikita Nesterenko made his NHL debut. Nesterenko was acquired from Minnesota in the John Klingberg trade at the deadline. Nesterenko played three seasons at Boston College and signed a two-year, entry-level contract last Wednesday. UP NEXT Flames: Open a three-game homestand against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Ducks: Host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports 18-17
