Pages

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

{allcanada} Ducks beat Flames 3-1, but lose Fowler to injury

 

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Patrick Eaves scored his eighth goal in nine games, John Gibson made 26 saves and the Anaheim Ducks moved closer to a fifth straight Pacific Division title with a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Kevin Bieksa ended his 47-game goal drought and Chris Wagner also scored as the Ducks recorded their 25th consecutive home regular-season victory over the Flames since Jan. 19, 2004, extending the longest such streak in NHL history.

Mikael Backlund scored for Calgary, which has lost three of four.

Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler left the game in the third period after a knee-on-knee hit from Flames captain Mark Giordano, who extended his leg and hit the U.S. Olympian's right knee well after he had shot the puck.

Fowler crumpled and couldn't leave the ice under his own power after the hit from Giordano, who wasn't penalized.

The hit set off a combative final period featuring 106 combined penalty minutes, including Josh Manson's battering of Giordano in a one-sided fight. The Flames had a lengthy 5-on-3 advantage while Anaheim had five players in the box midway through the period, but couldn't capitalize.

''I think there's a lot of hate there,'' Manson said.

The Ducks began the night two points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers, who have a game in hand. Anaheim has earned points in 12 consecutive games down the stretch, moving closer to a possible first-round matchup with the wild-card Flames.

Flames goalie Brian Elliott made 16 saves after replacing Chad Johnson just 5:19 into the first period. The Flames' backup goalie left his first appearance since March 23 with an unspecified lower-body injury after stretching to make a pad save.

Calgary hasn't won at Honda Center in the regular season since Darryl Sutter's Flames beat Mike Babcock's Ducks over 13 years ago. Anaheim's 25 straight victories over Calgary represent the longest winning streak in one arena against one opponent in NHL history.

Honda Center fans serenaded the Flames with a loud chant of ''You can't win here!'' in the closing seconds.

After Anaheim won 4-3 at Calgary on Sunday night on a late goal by Logan Shaw, the Flames were a step quicker than the Ducks in the first period of the rematch. Backlund ended an 11-game goal drought since March 11 with his 22nd goal of the season.

Anaheim evened it early in the second when captain Ryan Getzlaf took a sneaky shot off a faceoff and Eaves capitalized for his 31st goal - 11 more than his previous career high.

Bieksa then put Anaheim ahead when he slipped a stoppable shot past Elliott. The veteran defenseman hadn't scored a goal since Dec. 15.

NOTES: The Ducks also played without key defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen, both out with upper-body injuries. ... Gibson was solid in just his third appearance since Feb. 20 for the Ducks, who hope their starting goalie has recovered enough from his nagging lower-body injury to return for the postseason. ... Calgary earned a playoff victory in Anaheim back in 2006 during the regular-season skid.

UP NEXT

Flames: At Kings on Thursday.

Ducks: Host Blackhawks on Thursday.

Entertainment Plaza - TV, Movies, Sports, Music, Soaps
http://almosthuman99.com

Babe Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/babes/babeofthemonth.html

Hunk Of The Month - Vote Now!
http://almosthuman99.com/polls/hunks/hunkofthemonth.html

No comments:

Post a Comment