Music: {allcanada} Ducks spoil Hiller's return in win against Flames

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

{allcanada} Ducks spoil Hiller's return in win against Flames

While You Were Sleeping / The Muppet Christmas Carol

ANAHEIM -- There was no streak-snapping comeback for the Calgary Flames this time, nor was there a redemptive Jonas Hiller homecoming Tuesday.

The Anaheim Ducks got the 60-minute effort they were seeking in a 3-2 win against Calgary at Honda Center. Corey Perry and Kyle Palmieri scored second-period goals and the Ducks won their 19th straight home game against the Flames.

It was Hiller's first game in Anaheim since he left as a free agent after seven seasons with the Ducks. But that storyline dissipated with a strong second period by Anaheim, which has earned points in 11 of 12 games (6-1-5).

Calgary erased 2-0 deficits in two of its previous three games, including Nov.18 against Anaheim, and was 5-6-0 when trailing after two periods. But the Flames' rallied short against the Ducks, who were down to five defensemen in the third period because Francois Beauchemin left the game with an upper-body injury.

TJ Brodie almost singlehandedly got Calgary back in it when he scored at 11:02 of third and hit a post with four minutes left, and Jiri Hudler made it 3-2 with 25.4 seconds to go.

Calgary has not won at Honda Center since Jan.19, 2004, the longest home streak against one opponent in Ducks history. Ten of the 12 games have been decided by one goal, and Anaheim might have deflated Calgary in the second period when it killed three penalties and took a 3-0 lead on goals by Perry and Palmieri.

Palmieri went into the corner with Flames defenseman Deryk Engelland, spun toward the net and slipped a backhand through Hiller at 19:44.

Perry got his stick on kick pass by Matt Beleskey in the slot, shortly after Anaheim killed Mat Clark's tripping penalty. Perry's team-leading 12th goal at 5:04 of the second was his first since a case of mumps.

It was the fourth straight game that the Flames trailed 2-0 and the 12th time in 23 games they trailed after two periods.

Calgary's eighth-ranked power play had its best chance on its third attempt but could not convert. Anaheim otherwise took it to Calgary physically, highlighted by Beauchemin's hip check on Markus Granlund.

The scoring started on a fluky bounce when Beleskey's centering pass to Perry hit defenseman Kris Russell's skate and went into the net at 4:37 of the first. It was Beleskey's 10th goal, one shy of his career high from 2009-10.

A Christmas Carol / Little Women (1994) / Wrapped In Red - Kelly Clarkson