Calgary Flames
Fortunate bounce hands Ducks 3-2 win, 2-0 series lead over Calgary
Calgary Flames

Fortunate bounce hands Ducks 3-2 win, 2-0 series lead over Calgary

Published Apr. 16, 2017 2:21 a.m. ET

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Ryan Getzlaf scored the tiebreaking power-play goal with 4:46 to play on a bizarre deflection off Lance Bouma's skate, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 Saturday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Getzlaf's attempted pass across the high slot banked off Bouma's foot and somehow arched through the air and past Calgary's Brian Elliott for the Anaheim captain's second goal of the series.

https://twitter.com/FoxSportsWest/status/853441866456383488

Jakob Silfverberg and Rickard Rakell scored first-period goals and John Gibson made 35 saves in the Ducks' 29th consecutive victory over the Flames at Honda Center since April 25, 2006, extending the longest such streak in NHL history.

Mikael Backlund scored a short-handed goal and Sean Monahan had a power-play goal for the Flames.

Game 3 is Monday in Calgary.

Elliott stopped 26 shots for Calgary, which rallied from an early two-goal deficit and repeatedly threatened to take the lead before that heartbreaking bounce on Getzlaf's winner.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/853481479489310720

They still haven't won a regular-season game in Orange County since 2004, but the young Flames are headed back to Alberta with concrete knowledge they can play anywhere with the five-time Pacific Division champion Ducks.

Still, the Anaheim crowd serenaded the Flames with its now-familiar chant: "You can't win here!"

Playing without injured top defensemen Cam Fowler and Sami Vatanen, the Ducks survived a shaky second period with a strong third and more of their usual veteran poise. Anaheim hasn't lost in regulation in 16 consecutive games since March 10.

Silfverberg and Rakell scored for the second straight game, following up their goals in Anaheim's 3-2 win in Game 1 with goals in the opening seven minutes of the rematch.

The Ducks started quickly again, with Silfverberg beating Elliott just 3:21 into Game 2 with his silky wrist shot. Silfverberg went goalless in Anaheim's seven-game loss to Nashville in the first round last season.

Rakell then doubled the lead when Getzlaf's pass took a funny bounce and allowed Rakell to wrap a shot underneath Elliott.

Anaheim had a chance to seize control late in the first when Flames rookie Matthew Tkachuk took a double minor for high-sticking, but Backlund capitalized on a turnover and scored on a short-handed breakaway.

The Flames evened it in the second when Monahan cashed in a pass from Johnny Gaudreau for his second goal of the series.

Calgary nearly went ahead moments later when the puck slipped underneath Gibson during a physical scrum in the crease, but video review confirmed the on-ice call of no goal, infuriating Flames coach Glen Gulutzan.

NOTES: Vatanen was a late scratch with an upper-body injury after participating in the pregame skate. Korbinian Holzer made his NHL playoff debut at late notice. The German veteran hadn't played a postseason game since 2014 with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, and he hadn't played for Anaheim since April 4 after flying home late in the regular season for a personal matter. ... Chad Johnson was Elliott's backup. He hadn't suited up since leaving the Flames' game at Anaheim on April 4 after just a few minutes with a lower-body injury. ... Ducks F Nick Ritchie made his Stanley Cup playoff debut. The bruising power forward was suspended for the opener after punching Chicago's Michal Rozsival in Anaheim's penultimate regular-season game.

ADVERTISEMENT
share


Get more from Calgary Flames Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more