Jackets fall to Flames 4-2 after Bob leaves game with injury
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Rookie Sam Bennett scored twice and Johnny Gaudreau had the tiebreaking goal to lead the Calgary Flames to a 4-2 win over the league-worst Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
Michael Frolik also scored as Calgary improved to 6-7-1 since a seven-game winning streak in early December. Mark Giordano and Mikael Backlund each added two assists, and Karri Ramo stopped 27 shots.
Bennett has seven goals in his last four games, including a four-goal game against Florida on Jan. 13.
Scott Hartnell and Brandon Dubinksy scored for Columbus, which lost Sergei Bobrovky to another lower-body injury. Playing his second game since missing 17 with a groin injury, Bobrovsky left with 8:30 remaining in the second period after allowing two goals on 13 shots. On Tuesday, he gave up five goals on the first 15 shots in a 6-3 loss to visiting Washington.
Joonas Korpisalo finished with 12 saves.
Tied 2-2 after two periods, Gaudreau gave Calgary its third lead with his 20th of the season at 1:28 of the third. The crafty winger skated the puck from center ice to the bottom of the left circle and beat Korpisalo, deep in the crease, with a high shot.
Near the midpoint of the period, the Blue Jackets' Cam Atkinson hit the right post from the right hash mark.
Bennett gave the Flames a two-goal cushion with 5:32 left, jamming home a wraparound for his 13th.
The game started slow. Frolik wrapped up a sleepy first period with the opening goal with 8 seconds left. He one-timed a long rebound between Bobrovsky's pads for his first goal since Dec. 8.
Hartnell, back after being benched one game for recently taking another bad penalty, tied it at 3:37 of the second with his 16th. Seth Jones fired a shot that banked off the end board glass to Hartnell and the team's co-scoring leader directed it in from the left side.
The Flames regained the lead just 38 seconds later. Bennett gathered a stretch pass at the blue line behind Cody Goloubef, moved in and wristed a shot to the near side past Bobrovsky.
At the tail end of the period Dubinsky made it 2-2 with his 10th. He won an offensive zone faceoff then hustled to the net, scooping up a rebound in traffic and putting the puck between Ramo's legs with 2:04 left.
NOTES: Calgary snapped a three game losing streak against the Blue Jackets. ... Jones extended his career-long assist streak to four games (five assists). ... The Flames picked up their first win (1-1-1) on a season-high five-game road trip. ... Columbus is 8-5-4 in its last 17 home games.
