Music: {allcanada} Flames rally to win Game 6, eliminate Canucks

Saturday, April 25, 2015

{allcanada} Flames rally to win Game 6, eliminate Canucks

CALGARY -- Fittingly, the Calgary Flames pulled off another third-period comeback to extend their season and escape the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

The Flames erased an early three-goal deficit and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 7-4 in Game 6 of their Western Conference First Round series at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. They advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and just the second time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1989.

The Flames, who won the best-of-7 series 4-2, will face the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Second Round.

Matt Stajan put the Flames in front to stay with 4:17 remaining in regulation.

After Ryan Miller couldn't handle David Jones' initial shot cleanly, Stajan lifted Calgary's second rebound opportunity over the shoulder of the Canucks goaltender and into the top corner to put Calgary ahead 5-4.

A poke check by Karri Ramo on Daniel Sedin, who was in alone, led to Jiri Hudler's second of the night, an empty-net goal with 28.4 seconds. Michael Ferland, with his second of the game, added another into the empty net with 2.1 seconds remaining to complete the win.

The late outburst capped another Flames comeback.

The Flames trailed early after Vancouver scored the fastest three goals from the start of a playoff game in franchise history to take a 3-0 lead at 9:42. But Ferland trimmed Vancouver's lead to 3-1 late in the first period, and Calgary's top line of Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Hudler completely erased it in the second, scoring twice in 4:33 for their first even-strength goals of the series.

Luca Sbisa, with the first goal from a Canucks defenseman in the series, put Vancouver ahead midway through the middle period by beating Ramo through a screen, and Vancouver took the 4-3 lead off the ice at the second intermission.

The Flames, who were third to Anaheim (12) and the Detroit Red Wings (11) in victories when trailing after 40 minutes in the regular season and added another in Game 1 in Vancouver, came up with one more thanks to their top line.

With Vancouver's Brandon McMillan in the penalty box for interference, Monahan couldn't redirect Gaudreau's slap-pass on net, but Hudler fished the puck from below the goal line and beat a downed Miller to tie the game at 6:14 of the third.

It was three of 10 points on the night for the trio, who entered Game 6 having combined for a total of seven points through the first five games.

After Calgary opened the scoring early on home ice in Games 3 and 4, Vancouver got the jump this time with McMillan burying a rebound in the slot off an initial shot from Chris Higgins at 2:36 to put the Canucks ahead.

The sequence were the Canucks' first shots on Jonas Hiller and came after a flurry of chances from the Flames in the opening two minutes, including a post from Gaudreau 1:25 into the contest and a save by Miller off Sam Bennett on the doorstep 20 seconds later.

Vancouver struck again with goals from Jannik Hansen at 7:32 and Radim Vrbata at 9:42. Hansen's goal chased Hiller, who made one save on three shots. Vrbata's goal came on the first shot against Ramo.