Flames spoil Tkachuk's return to Calgary, beat Panthers 6-2

Published Nov. 30, 2022 12:02 a.m. ET

Associated Press

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Dillon Dube scored short-handed and had two assists and the Flames spoiled Matthew Tkachuk's return to Calgary by beating the Florida Panthers 6-2 on Tuesday night.

Rasmus Andersson, Jonathan Huberdeau, Tyler Toffoli and Andrew Mangiapane each had a goal and an assist, and Brett Ritchie also scored for the Flames, who improved to 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. Dan Vladar made 30 saves.

Nick Cousins and Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers, who dropped to 3-4-3 in their last 10. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 17 of 23 shots.

Tkachuk played for Calgary for his first six NHL seasons and was traded to Florida this summer. The 24-year-old was a restricted free agent and told the Flames he would not sign long-term with the team. The Flames got Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional draft pick from Florida.

Tkachuk was booed Tuesday whenever he touched the puck, but also received a partial standing ovation during a video tribute to him early in the first period.

After scoring three unanswered goals in the opening period, the Flames led 4-2 heading into the third.

Mangiapane and Dube combined on a second goal on an odd-man rush with Mangiapane finishing it at 18:54.

Bobrovsky stopped Huberdeau on a breakaway with just under five minutes to play, but Huberdeau collected the loose puck and fed Toffoli for a one-timer from the hash marks at 15:22.

Both goalies gave up soft goals in the second period. Reinhart’s low shot off the rush from the top of the faceoff circle beat Vladar’s outstretched glove at 16:55.

Ritchie’s sharp-angled shot on a rebound tied up an out-of-position Bobrovsky at 15:29.

Trailing 3-0, the Panthers struck early in the second when Cousins redirected Gustav Forsling’s pass at 9:54.

Andersson scored Calgary’s third goal at 13:03 of the opening period. When Bobrovsky gave up a long rebound, the Flames defenseman got inside position on Florida’s Aleksi Heponiemi to get a shot away.

Huberdeau got on his stick on a rebound during a goal-mouth scramble. The puck deflected off legs and sticks and found its way into the net for a power-play goal at 9:21.

Dube’s backhand redirect beat Bobrovsky on a 2-on-1 with Mangiapane for a short-handed goal at 3:05.

UP NEXT

Florida: At Vancouver on Thursday in the third of a five-game trip.

Calgary: Host Montreal on Thursday in the second of a five-game homestand.

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