CALGARY -- In case you were wondering, Calgary Flames coach Glen Gulutzan has not placed an order for additional sticks.
There was laughter in the interview room when Gulutzan was asked that question Saturday, a day after his colorful blasting of his players at practice and his emphatic stick toss into an empty section of the stands went viral on social media.
He caught the attention of his players with the verbal fireworks and his motivational tactics seemed to stay with them in another hard-fought battle against the Anaheim Ducks.
The Flames led 2-0 before the game was 10 minutes old and held on for a 3-2 win at Scotiabank Saddledome, decided by defenseman Dougie Hamilton's goal with 16 seconds remaining in the third period.
Anaheim tied it with two third-period goals by Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Getzlaf. This was the first game the Ducks have had Corey Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler in the lineup at the same time this season. Perry returned after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury.
The Flames (21-16-4) have won three games in a row and are two points behind the third-place San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division. Back-to-back wins against the Los Angeles Kings and Ducks could serve as a springboard for a strong second half of the season.
"We've talked about it enough in here," Flames goaltender Mike Smith said. "It was about time we started putting a string together. It was a gritty win."
There is a tight pack jockeying for position in the Western Conference. The Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and the Ducks are tied with 47 points, and the Flames have 46.
Calgary's next game is at Minnesota on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; FS-N, SNW, NHL.TV).
Gulutzan made a point of mentioning the standings during his tirade at practice Friday, saying, "You check the … standings?"
Apparently, the Flames needed a tough lesson from the teacher.
"Not the finest hour," Gulutzan said. "But you know what, sometimes teams need to be put in the position they are and it's my job to do it. Sometimes there some method to the madness, maybe."
The complacency he spotted at practice after their 4-3 victory against the Kings on Thursday concerned him. There was that and the up-and-down nature of the Flames during the first half of the season. This was their 41st game, a symbolic and important barometer.
"[Gulutzan] is pretty composed most of the time," Smith said. "There haven't been too many instances this year where he has snapped. There are times during the season when you need a little kick in the butt, even after a big win.
"We need to know where we are and look at the standings. Let's not take it for granted and keep pushing forward."
It was almost a year ago Gulutzan ripped the Flames after a dismal effort in a 5-1 loss at the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 24, saying it was "a pathetic display."
They won their next game at the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in overtime Jan. 26. After the All-Star break, the Flames went 9-2-1 in February and used the strong second half to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, getting swept by the Ducks in the Western Conference First Round.
Smith, of course, wasn't around for any of those moments last season. The Flames acquired him in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes on June 17 to solidify the position and he has often shown his best form against the Ducks.
He has two wins in three games against Anaheim (2-1-0), facing 113 shots and allowing four goals. Of the Flames' 21 wins this season, Smith has 17.
Smith had the day off Friday and joked that he wished he had witnessed the stick tossing.
"It was impressive," Smith said. "I saw a lot of footage of it."
Still he understood what Gulutzan was trying to accomplish.
"It's an emotional game whether you're a coach or a player," Smith said. "Sometimes the emotional part may get the better of you as a player.
"As a coach, maybe it's trying to get the guys going a little bit and make sure we're not taking anything for granted. I think that was the message and I thought we responded really well tonight."
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