Flames Suffer 3-1 Setback To Canucks

Five games in eight days, in five different cities.

Not to mention a trio of time zones.

That gruelling schedule caught up to the Flames Tuesday in Vancouver, as Calgary saw its four-game point streak come to a close with a 3-1 setback at the hands of the host Canucks.

Justin Kirkland scored the lone Flames goal late in the first period, while Dan Vladar made 29 saves, but a pair of early-second period markers turned the tide in favour of Vancouver, who evened the season series with Calgary at a win apiece.

The first period was - in a word - entertaining.

Plenty of pace, chances at both ends of the rink, and momentum swings that twisted and turned, mirroring those double-yellow lines along B.C. highways through the mountains and along the coast.

Former Canuck Andrei Kuzmenko had a glorious chance with just under eight minutes left in the frame, as part of a three-man rush with Jonathan Huberdeau and Rasmus Andersson. From the right wing, Andersson sifted the puck to the front of the net, where Kuzmenko was waiting for a redirect, but Vancouver netminder Kevin Lankinen lunged out of his crease, pushing his blocker toward the puck and deflecting it out of harm's way.

Vladar was solid, too, making 12 saves in period one including a glove-hand robbery off Pius Suter rebound chance.

Calgary cashed in with a minute left on the clock, thanks to a quick rush in transition by the fourth line. Ryan Lomberg chipped the puck into space to a speeding Kevin Rooney, who drove wide down the left wing, forcing Lankinen into a stop.

But Kirkland was right where he needed to be, net-front for the rebound, and he jammed it through Lankinen into the back of the net for his second goal of the season.

That momentum straightened out in favour of the hosts early in period two, as Vancouver began the frame on a powerplay.

Elias Pettersson tied the game at the 23-second mark, then Suter put the Canucks in front just over two minutes later.

Huberdeau came close to tying things up on a Calgary powerplay just shy of the midpoint, however.

Off a won faceoff to Lankinen's right, the puck came free to the Flames forward in the high slot. His low snapshot beat Lankinen, but rang off the right post and caromed away from danger.

Calgary was outshot 14-7 in the period, but came away trailing by only a goal.

The new period brought new determination. Nazem Kadri raced up the ice a minute into the third frame, wiring a puck goalward from the left circle that tested Lankinen.

But while the Flames kept up the pressure, it was Vancouver who found the next goal just past the six-minute mark. Erik Brannstrom found space at the point and sent the puck past a screened Vladar and into the Calgary net.

Lankinen continued to stand tall in the Vancouver crease, denying Mikael Backlund on a deflection with about seven minutes left after the Flames enjoyed an extended spell of offensive zone time.

Connor Zary made one last gasp attempt on goal in the final minute, forcing a quick reaction save off an opportunity from the doorstep.

In all, the Canucks netminder made 27 stops, helping Vancouver earn just its second home win this season in seven tries.

Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar held a share of the Flames' shot lead, with five each.

Andersson led all skaters with 24:54 of ice-time.

The Lineup:

FORWARDS

Connor Zary - Nazem Kadri - Yegor Sharangovich
Jonathan Huberdeau - Martin Pospisil - Andrei Kuzmneko
Blake Coleman - Mikael Backlund - Matt Coronato
Ryan Lomberg - Kevin Rooney - Justin Kirkland

DEFENCE

Kevin Bahl - Rasmus Andersson
MacKenzie Weegar - Daniil Miromanov
Tyson Barrie - Brayden Pachal

GOALTENDERS

Dan Vladar (starter)
Dustin Wolf

The Numbers Game:

Shots: CGY 28, VAN 32

Powerplay: CGY 0-2, VAN 1-3

Faceoffs: CGY 39.3%, VAN 60.7%

Blocked Shots: CGY 7, VAN 16

Hits: CGY 13, VAN 19

Takeaways: CGY 3, VAN 4

*5-on-5 Scoring Chances: CGY 16, VAN 19

*5-on-5 High-Danger Scoring Chances: CGY 4, VAN 5

*Courtesy of Natural Stat Trick

They Said It:

Up Next:

Calgary's next four games will be contested at the Scotiabank Saddledome, beginning Friday when the Nashville Predators come to town. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. Click for tickets