Calgary Flames end road trip in winning style, beating Nashville 4-3

The Calgary Flames held on to beat Nashville 4-3 in the last game of their road trip, finishing the six-game stint with a 4-2 record. 

Matthew Tkachuk took matters into his own hands, scoring and setting up another to lead the way. The Flames also notched two power play goals to secure victory, a massive confidence booster heading back to Calgary for Saturday’s game with Florida.

First period

Ryan Johansen banged in a rebound to hand Nashville the lead with 6:15 remaining in the first. Ryan Ellis took a slap shot as the Predators’ power play had just expired and David Rittich was unable to control the rebound. Even though it wasn’t a power play marker, it might as well have been.

The Preds have the best home power play in the league, showing once again how important it is for the Flames to stay out of penalty trouble.

Calgary conceded the first goal in five of six contests on the six-game road stint. The 3-2 win over the Devils was the only game Calgary notched the opener.

Mark Giordano found a lane to get his shot through on Calgary’s first power play of the game. It  ricocheted off Sean Monahan‘s back and fell favourably for Matthew Tkachuck, who potted his 13th goal in his last 21 goals, evening the score at one.

Second period

The Flames expertly killed off a four minute penalty to Sean Monahan early in the second and almost scored just after. Michael Frolík fed Johnny Gaudreau, who made a delicate pass to Monahan. The Flames centre was robbed by a sprawling Pekka Rinne at the back post.

Midway through the second Monahan was stymied again on a rebound by Rinne. Hockey is so often a game of inches, as evinced by Nashville’s second of the evening. On the back of Rinne’s world-class save, Dougie Hamilton tried to swat the puck out of midair at the blue line, but whiffed causing an odd-man rush the other way.

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Preds’ Viktor Arvidsson hit the goal post but Yannick Weber was there to pounce on the rebound. Weber’s second of the campaign put the Preds up by a goal.

Hamilton made up for his slight blunder, punishing the Preds for getting into serious penalty trouble in the latter stages of the frame. With 13 seconds left in Calgary’s two-man advantage, he wired a one-timer upstairs for his 10th of the season.

The score was level at two heading into the third.

Third period

Johnny Hockey was at his creative best again early in the third, stealing the puck behind the net before feeding it to Monahan in the slot. Monahan couldn’t get enough purchase on his effort, making it a rudimentary save for Rinne.

A beautiful tic-tac-toe set up Calgary’s go-ahead marker. Mark Jankowski found Sam Bennett who relayed to Tkachuk. Calgary’s MVP of the road trip played a terrific one-time pass to the back post for Jankowski, who was left with the simplest of tap ins.

But for a great save by Rittich, Eillis would have levelled the affair midway through the third. Gaudreau got caught in possession at the blue line, his inability to get the puck out almost costing the Flames dearly. He owes his netminder a drink or two after saving his blushes.

Curtis Lazar then scored an insurance marker for the away team, handcuffing Rinne on a long-ranger, fluttering knuckle puck.

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They’d need that insurance goal, too. Rittich whiffed on a clearance attempt, handing Nashville a lifeline as Nick Bonino cut the deficit to a single goal with 7:41 to play.

Rittich held his ground in the final few minutes, making numerous outstanding saves – including a spectacular glove save off a P.K Subban point shot – to cement the two points for Calgary.

A nervy final two minutes saw the Flames kill off their fifth penalty of the contest, thanks to Rittich’s heroics. Did he ever make up for his blunder on Bonino’s goal.

The Flames are 9-0 when Jankowski scores and have won six of the last seven against the Predators.