Morgan Frost scored twice while Joel Farabee and Matvei Gridin both collected one goal and one assist to lead the visiting Calgary Flames to a 5-3 upset of the slumping Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
Ryan Strome also scored for the Flames (32-36-8, 72 points), who snapped a two-game losing streak.
Goaltender Devin Cooley made 36 saves and held strong while the Ducks frantically pushed for the equalizer in a comeback that fell short.
The Flames have won 56 consecutive games when scoring four or more goals.
Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish scored for Anaheim, which is winless in five games (0-4-1). Goalie Ville Husso stopped 15 shots.
The Ducks (41-31-5, 87 points) squandered an opportunity to regain the top spot in the Pacific Division which was presented by Edmonton’s loss to Vegas.
After Anaheim opened the scoring early, Farabee tied the clash with a breakaway tally created by Gridin’s long pass, lifting a back-hand shot to complete the deke at 13:24.
Strome, in his first game in Anaheim since being traded to Calgary from the Ducks at the deadline, made it a 2-1 affair by sliding home a chance on another breakaway 80 seconds into the second period for his 500th career point. Strome has collected five goals and 11 points in 15 games since being acquired by Calgary.
Gridin’s tap-in tally coming when he created a turnover at his own blueline and finished with a 2-on-1 pass from Farabee made it a 3-1 game at 7:49.
Frost added another breakaway goal, right after the Flames killed a penalty, by tucking home a forehand shot at 18:44 of the second period. The tally gives him his first career 20-goal season.
Anaheim did push for yet another comeback win. Carlsson provided a jolt of life for the Ducks when he found the mark off the rush at 7:49 of the third period.
Then McTavish made it a one-goal game by rifling a top-corner shot from the right circle 122 seconds later.
Anaheim’s hopes were dashed by Frost’s empty-net goal with 71 seconds remaining in regulation time.
Sennecke opened the scoring just past the midway point of the opening period with his 23rd goal of the season, tops among rookies.
–Field Level Media
