Recap: Reimer, Canes Shut Out Flames

CALGARY - Backed by James Reimer's second shutout of the season, the Carolina Hurricanes halted the Calgary Flames' seven-game winning streak with a 4-0 victory.
Reimer turned away all 32 shots he faced, while Brock McGinn scored the deciding goal, as the Canes improved to 2-0-1 on this five-game road trip.
Here are five takeaways from Saturday afternoon in Calgary.

1. Dousing the Flames
The Flames came into the game riding a seven-game winning streak, and they certainly looked the part early. But, backed by a solid performance from James Reimer in net, the Hurricanes weathered the storm, fought back and left Calgary with two points.
The Canes scored a power-play goal, two shorthanded goals and were a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill, a win that checks all the boxes.
2. Reim Time
James Reimer's last seven starts have come on the road, and all seven of his wins this season have come on the road, as well. He's a road warrior, and he's given the Hurricanes a solid one-two punch in net.
"It's nice that we've got this," Brind'Amour said. "You don't have to ride one guy."
The Flames put 12 shots on Reimer in a dominant first period, but Reimer was the reason the Canes escaped unscathed.

"They came out hot. They're a great team over there, and they were buzzing," Reimer said. "I just tried to stay sharp and stay on my angles. Luckily, pucks hit me."
Eight of Reimer's 32 saves came with the Canes a man down, as he was a critical penalty killer.
"We've been playing against some great power plays recently, so you definitely don't want to be in the box because they'll burn you," Reimer said. "We play with that confidence and commitment. So far, it's been going well."
3. Escaping the First
I asked Rod Brind'Amour before the game about afternoon games and the seeming unpredictability of them.
"There have been some afternoon games where things go awry and people say, 'It's the afternoon game,' but it's no different than 7:00 games and things go awry. Everyone doesn't say anything about it."
That's certainly a fair point, and for whatever reason - afternoon game or not - things went awry for the Canes in the first period.
"The first was terrible," Brind'Amour said. "It was probably our worst period in two years. We just weren't ready to go."
The Flames out-shot the Canes 12-4 and dominated play. Luckily, Reimer was on his game. He made an excellent save early on Noah Hanifin's rebound opportunity.
"Our goalie kept us in the game," Brind'Amour said. "That's the best part."
4. Responding in the Second
For as terrible as the first period was, the second period was markedly better.
"They were giving it to us," McGinn said of the first. "Coming out for the second period, we just had to change our mindset and get to our game."
"I loved the response," Brind'Amour said. "In the second period, we got it together and looked like a hockey team. We got back into it
The Hurricanes opened the scoring about 12-and-a-half minutes into the middle frame. Julien Gauthier earned his first career NHL point with a play at the blue line - more on that soon. It was then Jordan Martinook who found Brock McGinn for the one-timer.

"That's a high-level goal," Brind'Amour said.
Calgary challenged the goal for offside, but review upheld the opening marker. The puck came out of the offensive zone, and, while straddling the blue line, Gauthier tapped it back into the zone; he didn't carry the puck in. He then waited for Brock McGinn to tag up before entering the zone and playing the puck. That's an onside play, and a good goal.
"Inches," Brind'Amour said.
Just 65 seconds later, Dougie Hamilton's wrist shot bounced in off the glove of David Rittich and in on a 4-on-3 Canes power play. He threw up his arms in celebration having scored his 12th goal of the season against his former team.

In total, the Canes put 18 shots on Rittich in a much-improved second period. Plus, they took a two-goal lead to the locker room. That was more like it.
5. Foegele's Two Shorties
The Hurricanes' penalty kill is good, very good even, but they flirted with danger in the third period, taking three consecutive penalties with a 2-0 lead.
"It was like penalty after penalty, and you're just like, 'Uncle. Enough,'" Reimer said.
How good is the penalty kill? So good it pitched in with a shorthanded goal. Warren Foegele scored his first career shorty with 4:55 left in regulation, stretching the Canes' lead to 3-0.

"The penalty kill was the difference. We were sharp," Brind'Amour said. "Getting a shorty kind of put the game away."
Not satisfied with a single shorthanded goal, Foegele found the empty net, again with the Canes down a man, in the waning seconds of regulation.

Foegele is the fifth player in franchise history to score two shorthanded goals in a game and the first to do so since Patrick Dwyer on Nov. 11. Foegele is the first player in franchise history to score his first two career shorthanded goals in the same game.
And, the penalty kill finished unblemished.
"The penalty kill has been strong," Reimer said. "Just a ton of commitment. The way they're battling, blocking shots."
Up Next
The Hurricanes will spend the weekend in Banff before flying to Winnipeg to face the Jets on Tuesday.