Calgary Flames Beat Division Rivals Arizona Coyotes By A Score Of 3-2

Calgary Flames 3 – Arizona Coyotes 2

Complete Stats

Recap

Cam Talbot and the Calgary Flames are able to hold off the Arizona Coyotes and secure the two points in their incremental Pacific Division lead.

TJ Brodie with a give away, then leaves Taylor Hall open, who scores the first goal of the game for the Yotes — short side on Talbot, on the first shot of the game.

It wouldn’t take the Flames long to answer back, with two goals in 41 seconds. Johnny Gaudreau missing a chance on the Yotes delayed penalty, only to even out the score with a power play goal — tape to tape to tape — Monahan and Tkachuk getting the assists on the Flames only PPG.

Matthew Tkachuk would pass the puck back to TJ Brodie on the blue line, who’s shot would get through traffic and bar down for the Flames second goal of the game. 2-1 Flames lead in the first period.

Talbot had his work cut out for him in the second period, making 20 saves with the Yotes outshooting the Flames 21-12.

Mikael Backlund would add to the score sheet. Tkachuk making a pass up to Backlund before absorbing a hit — Mangiapane and Backlund back at it with their pass game, making it 3-1 for the Flames early in the second.

Tkachuk would later cough up the puck to Ekman-Larsson, and it would be Carl Soderberg who buries the puck past Talbot on Taylor Hall’s rebound chance to put the Yotes within one goal halfway into the game.

Dube-Ryan-Lucic get a 3-on-1 breakaway chance, but slow going and Darcy Kuemper was able to square up and save the shot taken by Lucic.

The Flames were able to hold on to their one goal lead and beat the Yotes in regulation time.

Gustafsson was oh so close to getting his first goal as a member of the Calgary Flames — rings one off the post, and shrugs it off as the Flames pack this one up.

Scoring

Calgary Flames

1st: 5:54 PPG – Gaudreau (18) (Tkachuk/Monahan), 6:35 – Brodie (4) (Tkachuk)

2nd: 4:17 – Backlund (17) (Mangiapane/Tkachuk)

3rd: None

Arizona Coyotes

1st: 1:11 – Hall (16) (Keller)

2nd: 10:57 – Soderberg (17) (Hall/Ekman-Larsson)

3rd: None

Final Thoughts

The Flames went on the PK three times and were able to hold off the Yotes. Flames were 1/3 on their three power plays.

Derek Forbort had one of the biggest saves of the night — with the puck bouncing across the Flames crease and Conor Garland not able to swat the puck in net, Forbort holds the puck between his stick blade and the post.

Tkachuk had a great game — with the exception of the minor blunder that cost the Flames a goal — an assist on all three goals, he now leads the team with 41 assists.

Flame of the Game

Cam Talbot (G): Talbot made 32 saves. Makes a huge save with a leaping poke check on Garland, losing his helmet in the process — Talbot was trying to play the puck behind the net, when the puck bounced off the boards away from him, and Garland was there to pounce on it. He’s getting some well deserved starts as back up to Rittich.

What’s Next?

2/8: Calgary Flames vs. Vegas Golden Knights at Scotiabank Saddledome, 4PM MT.

by Renu Sahota