Markstrom returns to Vancouver, helps Flames extend Canucks' skid to six

VANCOUVER --Jacob Markstrom made 33 saves, and the Calgary Flames opened a four-game set against the Vancouver Canucks with a 3-1 win at Rogers Arena on Thursday.

It was Markstrom's first game in Vancouver since signing a six-year contract with the Flames on Oct. 9 after seven seasons with the Canucks. He won the first two times they played this season, 3-0 on Jan. 16 and 5-2 on Jan. 18, each in Calgary.
"Before tonight, this is the only building I hadn't been in the visitor room," Markstrom said. "It's weird to land and take the bus, staying at a hotel when it's been home for so long. But it was nice for us to get a win, and it's an important one."
Mark Giordano had a goal and an assist, and Sean Monahan had two assists for the Flames (7-5-1), who have won three straight for the first time this season.

"[Markstrom] kept us in there at times and made some big saves," Monahan said. "When your goalie's doing that, it gives you some jump and gives you a real good chance to win games."
Brock Boeser scored, and Thatcher Demko made 23 saves for the Canucks (6-11-0), who have lost six straight games and scored one goal in each of the past three.
"It's easy to pick apart a game when you only score one goal," Vancouver coach Travis Green said. "As much as you hate losing, our guys are smart enough to know they played a pretty good hockey game. They know if we bring that game to the table, you're going to win more than you lose."
The Flames and Canucks play again in Vancouver on Saturday and Monday, then in Calgary on Wednesday.
The Canucks, coming off a six-game road trip (1-5-0), outshot the Flames 9-2 in the opening 8:23 of the first period but couldn't beat Markstrom, who made tough saves against Tanner Pearson, Elias Pettersson and Alexander Edler.
"'Marky' is always good. He's a great goalkeeper, we saw it when he was here," Pettersson said. "We just got to figure out a way to beat him. I think we had our looks."
Giordano put Calgary ahead 1-0 at 18:35 of the first period on a shot through a screen that deflected in off the skate of defenseman Jordie Benn one second after a power play ended.
Boeser tied it 1-1 at 6:31 of the second period, banging in his own rebound after Markstrom stopped him on a partial breakaway created by a Pettersson stretch pass from the Canucks zone.

The Flames went ahead 2-1 at 14:31, one second after a power play ended, when Andrew Mangiapane's one-timer deflected off Benn and defenseman Nate Schmidt.
"You just feel for your goaltender, you feel for the guy back there grinding and giving you a chance, and then something like that goes in," Schmidt said.
Pettersson agreed.
"It's not going our way right now," he said. "We had our looks, we created chances, we spent most of the time in their zone. Two unlucky bounces. It's frustrating."
Johnny Gaudreau made it 3-1 at 5:58 of the third period with a breakaway shot over Demko's glove 10 seconds after a Canucks power play ended.
"After that, I thought we really squeezed them," Giordano said. "We didn't give them much through the neutral zone, we were making good plays. They're not all going to be nice and pretty."
Markstrom has made 90 saves on 93 shots in three games against his former team.
"This guy is so well prepared for every hockey game, I don't think he cares where he's playing, to be honest with you, whether it's home, here, anywhere else," Flames coach Geoff Ward said. "He's such a competitive guy, he takes so much pride in his personal performance and the way that he prepares. He wants to win at everything."
NOTES: Canucks forward Justin Bailey left 1:19 into the second period with an upper-body injury after taking a hit from Flames forward Milan Lucic. There was no update. … Vancouver forward Jay Beagle, who was born and raised in Calgary, played 7:55 in his 600th NHL game. … Boeser (two goals, three assists) and Pettersson (two goals, three assists) each has a five-game point streak. … Mangiapane has five points (three goals, two assists) during a four-game point streak.