Flames defeat Coyotes in overtime

CALGARY -- Michael Frolik scored 49 seconds into overtime to give the Calgary Flames a 2-1 win against the Arizona Coyotes at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday.
Rookie forward Matthew Tkachuk tied the game in the third period, and Chad Johnson made 20 saves for the Flames (7-10-1), who have won two in a row after losing four straight.

It was Calgary's first game without forward Johnny Gaudreau, who had surgery Wednesday after breaking his finger in a 1-0 win at the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.
"It's a big loss for Johnny, but it's an opportunity for the guys to step up, and we have to do it," Frolik said. "He's going to be out for a while. It's an opportunity for the guys, and hopefully somebody will step up and do the job for him."

Tobias Rieder scored for the Coyotes (5-10-0), and Mike Smith made 22 saves in his first game since Oct. 18 after missing 12 because of a lower-body injury.
Arizona has lost four of its past five games (1-3-1).
"It's just the little things … doing the little things right, pushing the game along," Rieder said. "I think we're a good team, but right now we're just losing too many battles and making too many little mistakes."
Frolik took off on a breakaway after collecting the puck off a turnover by Coyotes forward Brad Richardson at the Flames blue line and shot by Smith's glove to win it.
"When I looked, I saw a little bit more space outside to maybe go to the backhand, but last second I saw a guy coming across, so I just tried to shoot it glove side and it went in," Frolik said.

Rieder gave Arizona 1-0 lead with 17.6 seconds remaining in the second period. The goal came after Smith made eight saves in the period, including a pad save on Frolik at 00:39, and another off Frolik from the hash marks at 5:24.
"I think he's one of the best goalies in the League," Rieder said. "He showed today what he can do. He can win games for us, but we just can't let him hang out to dry."
Tkachuk tied the game 1-1 at 6:40 of the third period with a sharp-angled shot. Tkachuk's father, Keith Tkachuk, was Coyotes captain for parts of five seasons from 1996-2001.
"It was an unfortunate bounce there off the helmet and in," Smith said. "It could've been a 1-0 game and we're feeling a lot different coming into the locker room tonight. That's on me, that one."

Goal of the game

Tkachuk got to a loose puck off a faceoff in the Coyotes zone and lifted a shot from the goal line that hit the back of Smith's helmet and went in to tie it. Tkachuk's skates were below the goal line when he released the shot. "There wasn't much room, so I had to bank it off his head," he said. "I just tried to get the puck to the net and hoped something good would happen."

Save of the game

Smith quickly got his glove up to knock away a low point shot from Flames defenseman Dougie Hamilton that Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse redirected in front with 4:32 remaining in the first period.

Unsung moment of the game

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who broke his stick on a shot in the Flames zone, scrambled back into the play in the Coyotes zone in time to shoulder Flames center Sean Monahan off the puck at the top of the crease, eliminating a second scoring opportunity at 13:06 of the first period.

Highlight of the game

Smith made a windmill glove save on Frolik's wrist shot from the hash marks after he worked a give-and-go with Tkachuk that left him alone in the slot 5:25 into the second period. "Maybe if I got it a little bit higher, maybe it was better, but he made a great save on that play," Frolik said.

They said it

"In this league, no matter who's in the lineup, you have to find ways to win. It takes the six guys on the ice to really get the job done. I think to the outside world, all the focus is on the [Johnny] Gaudreau (type) players, but on the ice it takes more than the one guy to get things done. It takes his linemates and everything else. When you miss him, you have to find ways to win." -- Flames goaltender Chad Johnson
"We just weren't good enough. We made too many mistakes, gave them too many chances. The only reason we were in this game was because of Mike [Smith] because he played unbelievable today."-- Coyotes forward Tobias Rieder

Need to know

In Gaudreau's absence, Flames forward Sam Bennett skated on the top line with Monahan and Troy Brouwer. … Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal returned after missing five games because of a lower-body injury. … Ekman-Larsson left in the second period under concussion protocol following a hit by Micheal Ferland, but he returned in the third period.

What's next

Coyotes: At the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday (10 pm. ET; SNV, FS-A, NHL.TV)
Flames:Home against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, CSN-CH, NHL.TV)