Smith, Flames blank Coyotes
CALGARY, Alberta -- Mike Smith stopped 28 shots and Mark Jankowski scored twice as the Calgary Flames blanked the Arizona Coyotes 3-0 at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday.
Smith, making his first start against his old team since being acquired in a trade June 17, recorded his second shutout of the season and 35th of his NHL career.
Mikael Backlund also scored for the Flames (14-10-1), who bounced back from a 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs two nights earlier. Sam Bennett had two assists.
Goalie Scott Wedgewood, who made his fourth straight start for the Coyotes (6-18-4), also played well as he stopped 41 shots.
Wedgewood had to be sharp 20 seconds into the game as made a blocker save to stop a shot off the stick of Flames center Matt Stajan.
Later in the opening period, Smith made back-to-back saves to stop quality scoring chances by Max Domi and Christian Dvorak.
Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic then rang a shot off the post before taking another point shot that Sean Monahan tipped on net that Wedgewood stopped with his right pad.
Jankowski opened the scoring at 2:48 of the second period because of a great second effort. After his first shot was turned aside, Jankowski quickly put his stick between his legs and lifted the rebound up and over Wedgewood's left pad.
After being outshot 16-14 in the first period, the Flames carried the majority of play in the second when they had a 13-5 advantage in shots.
The Flames continued to press hard to score an insurance goal and were rewarded when Matthew Tkachuk made a great feed out front to Backlund, who one-timed the puck past Wedgewood at 10:19 of the third.
Jankowski scored his second of the game and fifth of the season at 12:11 of the third when he drove hard to the net before making a quick move and tucking a backhand shot past Wedgewood.
NOTES: In six seasons with the Coyotes before being acquired by the Flames, G Mike Smith compiled a 128-132-41 record to go with a 2.69 goals-against average and .916 save percentage. ... Flames RW Jaromir Jagr returned to action Thursday after missing Calgary's 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs two nights earlier. ... The Flames put RW Kris Versteeg on injury reserve Wednesday and recalled RW Garnet Hathaway from the AHL's Stockton Heat. ... Calgary's scratches were C Curtis Lazar, C Freddie Hamilton and D Matt Bartkowski. ... The Coyotes recalled D Andrew Campbell from the AHL's Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday. ... The Coyotes scratched Campbell, LW Anthony Duclair and D Niklas Hjalmarsson, who suffered an upper-body injury during Arizona's 3-2 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.