Flames blank Blue Jackets to end CBJ point streak

CALGARY -- Rasmus Andersson scored to help the Calgary Flames to a 3-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.

Dan Vladar made 16 saves for his second shutout of the season and fourth in the NHL, and Mikael Backlund had two assists for the Flames (13-9-4), who ended a four-game losing streak with their sixth straight home win.

"I thought our team played really well, pretty much the whole game I thought we played really solid," Backlund said. "It was a big must-win for us after a tough road trip coming home. We’ve been playing really well at home and we got back to the way we know we can play. We have to keep that going now."

Elvis Merzlikins made 19 saves for the Blue Jackets (11-10-3), who had a six-game point streak end (5-0-1).

"We, for whatever reason ... we're going to dive into it tonight and tomorrow ... but we didn't have the same pop that we've had," Columbus coach Dean Evason said. "We were just kind of a step behind all night. We just didn't have that extra that we've had consistently here as of late for whatever reason. We have to figure it out."

The Flames and Blue Jackets honored the memory of Johnny Gaudreau before the game with a video tribute and ceremonial face-off featuring members of the Gaudreau family.

"There were so many emotions," Backlund said. "We were so excited to see the family, but also so sad. It’s such a tragedy. It’s so many mixed emotions. It’s the first I’m dealing with it but we'll get through it. It’s always good to have teammates that were close to Johnny too that we can share stories and connect with each other."

Gaudreau, a forward for the Blue Jackets who spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Flames, and his brother, Matthew, a former professional hockey player, died on Aug. 29 when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver, who has been charged with two counts of death by auto, while riding bicycles near their home in Salem County, New Jersey.

"Emotional circumstance there," Columbus forward Cole Sillinger said. "It's nice to see the entire Gaudreau clan in Calgary. Them being here, them wanting to be here, and obviously they have all the support in the world from both organizations. Just to see their faces and the smile on their faces is a true blessing."

Andersson gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 10:14 of the second period. He one-timed a pass from Backlund from the left face-off circle past the blocker of Merzlikins on the power play.

"There is just so much emotion going through your body," said Andersson, who pointed up at the Gaudreaus after scoring. "They know I love them and me and my family will always be here for them, it was just very emotional scoring."

Andersson's goal came during a stretch of 23:41 between Columbus shots, spanning from 14:10 of the first period until 17:51 of the second period.

"I thought Calgary was good in the neutral zone, didn't really give us much, didn't really have any odd-man rushes or second or third opportunities in the O-zone," Sillinger said. "It was one and done. They were blocking shots and getting the puck up. In the first couple periods there we didn't have our jam, have our pop, have our urgency that maybe we're used to or have had going the last couple of games."

Backlund appeared to score at 12:40 of the third period when he tipped Andersson's point shot, but the Blue Jackets successfully challenged that the Flames had entered the zone offside.

Kevin Bahl scored a power-play goal, a wrist shot from the point through traffic, to push it to 2-0 at 17:53, and Yegor Sharangovich scored into an empty net with 20 seconds remaining for the 3-0 final.

"Lots of emotions," Vladar said. "That one, you kind of don't really want to play hockey but you remember Johnny and how he always wanted to play hockey with a smile on. This one's for him. He was watching us for sure. This one goes to him."

NOTES: Gaudreau is fifth in Flames history with 609 points (210 goals, 399 assists) in 602 regular-season games. He had 743 points (243 goals, 500 assists) in 763 NHL regular-season games with Calgary and Columbus, where he signed as an unrestricted free agent July 13, 2022. ... The Flames are tied for second in the NHL with 10 home wins this season. ... Bahl has three points (one goal, two assists) during an NHL career-high three-game point streak. ... Werenski had an eight-game point streak end (five goals, 11 assists). ... Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov had a six-game point streak end (four goals, four assists).