Andersson's 3rd-period goal helps Flames beat Wild 5-3
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Rasmus Andersson scored a tiebreaker at 15:57 of the third period and had two assists as the Calgary Flames rallied to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-3 on Wednesday night.
Tyler Toffoli scored twice, including an empty-netter, and Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman added goals for Calgary. Elias Lindholm had three assists for the Flames, who won their third straight. Calgary earned eight points during a five-game homestand and now heads out on a three-game trip.
Making his sixth start in the last eight games, Dan Vladar gave up two goals on his first three shots. He settled in and finished with 25 saves and earned his fourth straight victory, improving to 5-4-1 this season for Calgary.
Kirill Kaprizov extended his goal streak to an NHL-leading seven games for the Wild. Mason Shaw and Jon Merrill also scored for Minnesota, which had its four-game winning streak halted. Marc-Andre Fleury had 22 saves as his record fell to 9-6-1.
The Wild were trailing 3-2 when they tied it at 15:45 as Merrill’s point shot deflected in off the stick of Flames defenseman Chris Tanev.
But 12 seconds later, a Wild turnover behind their net ended up on the stick of Andersson, who cut across the crease and used his backhand to put the puck just inside the post.
Kaprizov came into the game with 19 points in his last 12 games. He extended his point streak to 13 games when he tipped in a point shot by Matt Dumba 1:27 into the game. Both of Kaprizov’s streaks are franchise records.
Less than a minute later, the Wild broke out on a 3-on-1 with Shaw scoring off a pass from Connor Dewar.
But the Flames overcame the Wild’s fast start in the first period with a better start to the second.
On a power play that carried over from the first period, Kadri got Calgary on the scoreboard just 16 seconds in, redirecting Lindholm’s pass past Fleury.
Coleman tied it after a goalmouth scramble at 1:37.
The Flames moved in front at 3:11 with another power-play goal and another deflection. Toffoli got a piece of Andersson’s slap shot from the blue line.
POWER SURGE
After a seven-game stretch in which the Flames’ power play was 2 for 21, they’ve scored two goals in each of the last two games, going a combined 4 for 9 during that span.
UP NEXT
Minnesota: At Edmonton on Friday in the third game of a four-game trip.
Calgary: At Columbus on Friday in the opener of a three-game trip.
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