RECAP: Gaudreau, Stajan each score twice as Flames beat Ducks 6-3
Johnny Gaudreau and Matt Stajan each scored two goals, leading the Calgary Flames to a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night.
Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler also scored for the Flames (37-25-5), who returned to play at the Scotiabank Saddledome for the first time since a 6-3 loss to the Ducks on Feb. 20.
With the win, the Flames moved within one point of the Vancouver Canucks (38-24-4) for second place in the Pacific Division.
Kris Russell had three assists to give him eight points in his past three games, while his defense partner Dennis Wideman set up a pair of goals.
GOAL GIF: With this PPG, Getzlaf becomes the fastest #NHLDucks player to record two goals from the start of a game. pic.twitter.com/woXy3qnB3a
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 12, 2015
Ryan Getzlaf had two goals for the Ducks (42-20-7), and Hampus Lindholm also scored.
Kari Ramo stopped 29 shots for Calgary. Anaheim goalie John Gibson finished with 17 saves.
It wasn't a great start for the Flames as Getzlaf picked off an errant pass by David Jones in the Calgary zone and quickly beat Ramo with a shot over his left pad to put the Ducks up 1-0 just 22 seconds into the game.
Getzlaf scored again at 2:51 when he deposited a rebound into a wide open Calgary net with Ramo out of position after stopping the initial shot by Ryan Kesler.
GOAL GIF: All alone in second place - Getzlaf passes Kariya w/ this glove-side goal. #LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/k5CpYIYwSG
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 12, 2015
The Flames then fought back with goals by Stajan and Gaudreau before the end of the first period.
Calgary then scored three goals on four shots in the second to build up a 5-2 lead. Stajan redirected a pass from Michael Ferland past Gibson at 7:28. Monahan scored during Calgary's man advantage 85 seconds later.
Gaudreau scored another power-play goal for Calgary at 13:59 before Lindholm wired a point shot past Ramo exactly five minutes later to pull the Ducks within two goals.
Despite being outshot 9-3 in the third by the Ducks, Hudler scored the lone goal of the period at 15:17.
NOTES: Gaudreau now has 18 goals with 32 assists in 66 games. He's the first Flames rookie to reach 50 points since Jarome Iginla had 21 goals and 29 assists in the 1996-97 season. ... While the Tim Hortons Brier was being contested at the Saddledome from Feb. 28 to March 8, the Flames went 4-2-1 on their season-high road trip.
