Music: {allcanada} Ducks blank Flames in Game 2

Sunday, May 3, 2015

{allcanada} Ducks blank Flames in Game 2

ANAHEIM -- Matt Beleskey and Hampus Lindholm scored and goalie Frederik Andersen made 30 saves to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 3-0 victory against the Calgary Flames on Sunday in Game 2 of the Western Conference Second Round at Honda Center.

The Ducks lead the best-of-7-series 2-0. Game 3 is Tuesday at Scotiabank Saddledome (9:30 p.m. ET; USA, SN, TVA Sports).

With the Ducks holding on to a 1-0 lead, Lindholm gave them some breathing room when he scored on a wrist shot to finish a rush at 11:15 of the third period. He took a drop pass from Corey Perry, and his shot from the top of the right circle to beat Flames goalie Karri Ramo, who made 32 saves and kept the Flames afloat most of the night.

Nate Thompson added an empty-net goal with 2:16 remaining in regulation.

Andersen got his first Stanley Cup Playoffs shutout and is 6-0 this year. Anaheim won six straight games to start the postseason for the first time since 2003; the Ducks last won six straight playoff games at any point in 2006.

Lindholm's goal came after Calgary, a 6-1 loser in Game 1, played perhaps its best hockey of the series so far. But the Flames were outplayed for the first half of the game and needed Ramo's 19 saves in the first period to keep it a one-goal game.

Beleskey scored the only goal through the first 51 minutes when he converted Ryan Kesler's saucer pass threaded through two defenders at 7:27 of the first period. The Ducks transitioned quickly in the neutral zone as defenseman Francois Beauchemin passed to Jakob Silfverberg to start the play. Beleskey one-timed Kesler's pass from the right side past a helpless Ramo for his second goal in as many games.

Anaheim's 1-0 lead after one period could easily have been more if not for Ramo, who stopped Ryan Getzlaf on a 2-on-1 and Kyle Palmieri and Silfverberg on high-quality chances.

Andersen's best save came when he stopped Mason Raymond from point-blank range early in the second period.

Calgary's top-end forwards, Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Jiri Hudler, had no shots on goal through 50 minutes.

The Flames scratched left wing Micheal Ferland and right wing Drew Shore. Left wing David Wolf made his NHL playoff debut and played some on Calgary's top line.

Including the playoffs and regular season, Anaheim has won 21 straight games at home against Calgary dating to Game 3 of their first-round playoff series in 2006.