Mikael Backlund’s short-handed goal early in the third period broke the tie and sent the host Calgary Flames on their way to a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Monday.
Martin Pospisil and Blake Coleman also scored for the Flames, who have won two straight home games following a winless three-game road stretch.
Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom delivered a sparkling performance with 33 saves in his first game back after missing two weeks due to a broken finger.
Markstrom twice left Sam Bennett looking to the sky on missed power-play opportunities, the first shortly after Backlund’s tally and then before Coleman’s insurance goal.
Sam Reinhart scored for the Panthers, who lost three of the final four to end a five-game road trip. Goalie Anthony Stolarz stopped 22 shots.
Matthew Tkachuk, who was booed by the Calgary fans every time he touched the puck in memory of how he departed the team after six seasons, collected an assist on Reinhart’s goal.
With the score tied 1-1 in a low-event game, Backlund’s tally 3:31 into the third period gave Calgary its second lead of the night. Noah Hanifin intercepted a pass attempt and sent Backlund on a breakaway, and the center converted a backhand shot for his seventh of the season.
With his 17th career short-handed goal, Backlund is behind only Theo Fleury (28) for the most in franchise history.
At 18:27 of the third period, Coleman was awarded a goal despite missing the net with a shot when he was tripped while on a breakaway with the Panthers net empty, another short-handed goal. It was his 10th tally of the season.
Since Nov. 7, the Flames have scored six short-handed goals and only four power-play goals.
Pospisil opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season at the 8:45 mark of the opening frame. Sprung on a breakaway, Pospisil held off the backcheck before flicking a backhand shot inside the post.
Reinhart’s power-play goal with 30.4 seconds remaining in the opening frame evened the score. In a flurry of action, Reinhart chipped up a rebound chance for his team-leading 18th of the campaign.
–Field Level Media
