Ruzicka has goal, assist for Flames in win against Islanders

CALGARY --Adam Ruzicka had a goal and an assist to help the Calgary Flames win their sixth straight game, 5-2 against the New York Islanders at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday.

Andrew Mangiapane scored his fifth goal in the past five games, and Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves for the Flames (26-13-6), who have won eight of nine and have outscored opponents 29-6 in a six-game home winning streak.
"We're playing good hockey here at home," Mangiapane said. "It feels nice to win at home and get the crowd involved. It's fun to play here right now."
Jean-Gabriel Pageau had a goal and an assist, and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for the Islanders (17-19-6), who have lost five of seven, including 3-1 at the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.
"I think every loss is frustrating in its own way," Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson said. "I think we go in there each night trying to win. The last two games we definitely did some good stuff, and I think tonight just a couple breakdowns that cost us. I think we can't dwell on it."

Semyon Varlamov took warmups for New York and was expected to start but was instead placed into NHL COVID-19 protocol. Colin Cooper, who played four seasons with Mount Royal University in Calgary from 2015-19, was the emergency backup.
"'Varly,' obviously he was scheduled to play," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "He warmed up feeling fine, but obviously while we're in Canada you have to test and we got the results, basically, I think there was maybe about 10 minutes before we were going back on the ice. So 'Sorokie' had to go in there last minute."
Ruzicka put Calgary up 1-0 at 9:58 of the first period. He shot by Sorokin's blocker after taking a centering pass from behind the net from defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
"To be honest, I don't really care about the points," Ruzicka said. "I care that we won the game. That's six in a row."
Dobson tied it 1-1 at 17:07 on a power play when his point shot deflected off the stick of Flames forward Blake Coleman. The goal came after New York had hit the post three times earlier in the period.
Chris Tanev gave Calgary a 2-1 lead at 18:08 when his wrist shot from the high slot deflected off the stick of Islanders forward Zach Parise. Tanev has scored seven points (two goals, five assists) in a four-game point streak.
Mangiapane made it 3-1 at 15:32 of the second period when he redirected Ruzicka's pass by Sorokin. Mangiapane has scored seven points (five goals, two assists) in a five-game point streak.
"I was battling in front there and saw him pick the puck up and I just had my stick on the ice and he just hit it off my stick and it went in," Mangiapane said.

Pageau cut the lead to 3-2 at 16:50. Parise centered a backhand pass from behind the net to Pageau, who shot by Markstrom. The goal came 28 seconds after Oliver Kylington hit the post for the Flames.
Erik Gudbranson extended the lead to 4-2 at 8:00 of the third period with a slap shot that Sorokin got a piece of before trickling over the goal line. The goal was confirmed by video review.
"The biggest disappointment was the third," Trotz said. "They just had better legs. They were winning more battles and getting more pucks. They got the fourth goal there and that was one that we needed to not have go against us."
Elias Lindholm pushed the lead to 5-2 at 15:13 on a setup by Matthew Tkachuk. He has scored in four straight games.
"It's a one-goal game going into the third period, that's how the Islanders play, that's why they went to the conference finals last year," Flames coach Darryl Sutter said.
NOTES: It was Ruzicka's first multipoint game in 17 NHL games. … Markstrom won his 20th game, the fifth straight season he has won 20 or more. … Calgary forward Johnny Gaudreau had two assists to extend his point streak to six games (three goals, four assists). ... Each of the six defensemen for the Flames scored a point. ... Lindholm has scored seven points (four goals, three assists) in a five-game point streak.