Rasmus Andersson scored 2:24 into overtime, giving the visiting Calgary Flames a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
Michael Stone and Brett Ritchie also scored for the Flames, who finished 3-0-1 on their California road trip and head into the holiday break in one of the two Western Conference wild-card spots. Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves.
Mason McTavish and Jakob Silfverberg replied for the struggling Ducks, who received a 42-save performance from goaltender Lukas Dostal. It was the fourth consecutive game in which Dostal faced at least 40 shots.
In the extra period, Andersson gained the puck deep in the offensive zone, bought time for new linemates to hit the ice, and after taking the pass from Tyler Toffoli, ripped a top-shelf wrist shot from the right faceoff dot for his fifth goal of the season.
The Flames earned just their third extra-time victory against seven losses in games that went beyond regulation. They snapped a five-game skid in overtime/shootout affairs.
Twice the Flames took a lead only to see the Ducks tie the game.
Stone’s fourth goal of the season opened the scoring 4:19 into the contest. Off a faceoff win, the defenseman blasted a point shot through a screen.
McTavish tied the clash with 3:16 remaining in the opening period. During a five-on-three power play, he threaded the needle with a short-side one-timer from the bottom of the right circle for his sixth tally of the season.
The Flames dominated the game from that point through the second intermission and were rewarded when Ritchie put them ahead again. While his team was buzzing, Ritchie zipped a backhander just inside the far post at 5:26 for his sixth goal of the season.
The Flames earned a 23-1 edge in shots in the second period, aided by four power-play opportunities, but couldn’t extend their lead. The inability to pull away proved costly when Silfverberg tied the game with another Anaheim power-play goal 3:28 into the third period. On a rush, he snapped a shot from the left circle for his fifth goal of the season.
However, the Ducks couldn’t find the go-ahead goal, and they now have just three wins in their past 15 outings (3-9-3).
–Field Level Media
