Wild force OT, fall short in 3-2 loss to Flames
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Dougie Hamilton made sure the Calgary Flames started a crucial road trip on a winning note.
Hamilton scored 2:39 into overtime to lift Calgary over the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Micheal Ferland and Sean Monahan each had a goal and assist and Johnny Gaudreau added three assists for the Flames, who began a four-game trip with a season-high fourth straight win. Mike Smith made 33 saves.
After Smith stopped Ryan Suter on a breakaway, Gaudreau outraced Jason Zucker to the puck going the other way. Gaudreau waited and fed Hamilton for a one-timer.
It's the second straight game-winning goal for Hamilton. He scored with 16 seconds left Saturday as Calgary beat Anaheim 3-2.
"I think we're playing solid," Hamilton said. "Smitty's back there, I think he's been unbelievable, I don't think we're in this game if it's not for him."
Smith's stops included an early glove save on Matt Cullen and a left pad save to stop Mikael Granlund alone in front midway through the second.
"We just couldn't capitalize," Suter said. "In the third period, we had nothing to lose and you go for it, and too bad we couldn't have pulled it out."
Granlund and Jared Spurgeon tied the game in the final period for Minnesota, which lost for just the third time in its last 14 home games -- two of which were in overtime.
Granlund got the Wild within one by beating Smith high on the glove side at 7:16. He has five goals in his past seven games.
A slap shot by Spurgeon from the right circle clanked off the far post and into the Flames' net six minutes later, further igniting a crowd that booed Minnesota off the ice after the second period.
"In the third period, I thought we sat back a little bit too much. We should have pushed," Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said.
Minnesota had two power plays in the final 6:35 but failed to convert. It was 0 for 5 with the man advantage.
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"We need to put it in," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. "We had the puck all around them and one pass too many here, one pass too many there and not enough shots and Smith was on his game."
Calgary and Minnesota began the night among a group of five teams within one point of each other for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
"Didn't want to give them that extra point there, but we found a way to get the two points and keep this win thing going," Gaudreau said.
Monahan gave Calgary a 2-0 lead in the final minutes of the middle frame as he redirected a pass from Ferland past a sprawling Alex Stalock. With his 20th goal of the season, Monahan becomes the ninth player in Flames history to reach that mark in five consecutive seasons.
Ferland finished off a 3-on-2 with Monahan and Gaudreau six minutes into the game for a 1-0 lead. It was his third goal in three games and 18th of the season, second-best on the team.
The first-line trio has scored 51 of Calgary's 116 goals this season.
"Me, Mony and Ferls, we're building some chemistry, which is really important in this league. We keep building that chemistry and having that confidence, it will be huge for us," Gaudreau said.
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NOTES
Wild LW Nino Niederreiter missed the game with a lower-body injury. Boudreau said he's expected to be out until after the bye. ... Ferland has a career-high 26 points, one more than last season. His 18 goals are a career best. ... Minnesota was 4 for 4 on the penalty kill to increase its league-best home percentage to 92.8. Visitors have just five goals in 69 chances.
UP NEXT
Flames: Thursday night at Tampa Bay.
Wild: Wednesday night at Chicago.
