CALGARY, Alberta -- TJ Brodie stayed hot with three assists and the Calgary Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-2 on Friday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Two of Brodie's assists came in the second period while Calgary scored three straight goals to take a 4-2 lead. The 25-year-old defenseman has 11 points in his last eight games, all assists.
Brodie's 32 assists this season are a career best, surpassing the 30 from a year ago.
Joe Colborne, Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik each had a goal and an assist for Calgary. Mark Giordano and Josh Jooris also scored, and the Flames kept their faint playoff hopes alive.
Calgary is nine points back of the Colorado Avalanche for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Adam Cracknell and Jake Virtanen scored for Vancouver, and Jacob Markstrom made 28 saves. The Canucks have lost four in a row, each by a score of 5-2.
Calgary tied it 2-2 at 2:07 of the second. From a mad scramble beside the crease, Backlund chipped the puck over Markstrom. After scoring five goals in the season's first 50 games, Backlund has five goals in his last seven.
The go-ahead goal at 5:34 came off Frolik's stick. Set up in the slot by Brodie, Frolik's shot changed directions off the skate of Canucks defenseman Matt Bartkowski.
The Flames capped off a big middle period on Giordano's 14th goal with 25 seconds remaining. Brodie, his defense partner, had the set-up.
Making his fourth straight start since Karri Ramo's season-ending knee injury, Jonas Hiller won for the first time. He had given up 12 goals in the first three games but bounced back with a 26-save effort.
Down 1-0 after the first period, Vancouver tied it at 10:41 of the first on a great effort by Jannik Hansen. While being checked by Brodie, Hansen reached back and poked the puck to Cracknell, who sent a shot past Hiller.
The Canucks took the lead 5 minutes later when Virtanen also beat Hiller upstairs with a shot from the top of the faceoff circle.
Game notes
Sam Bennett played his natural position of center for the first time since Oct. 31. He's spent all but a handful of games on left wing. ... Calgary D Tyler Wotherspoon made his season debut. He was recalled from Stockton (AHL) to replace Ladislav Smid (upper body), who was placed on IR.
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