Flames 5, Canucks 2
CALGARY, Alberta -- Defenseman TJ Brodie tied a career high with three points to lead the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Brodie set up three goals to equal a feat he accomplished Nov. 2, 2014, during a 6-2 road win for the Flames over the Montreal Canadiens.
Center Mikael Backlund, right winger Michael Frolik and left winger Joe Colborne combined for six points as each member of the line contributed a goal and an assist.
Defenseman Mark Giordano and right winger Josh Jooris also scored for the Flames (26-28-3), who halted a three-game losing streak to pull within one point of the Canucks (22-24-12) for fifth place in the NHL's Pacific Division.
Making his fourth straight start, Flames goaltender Jonas Hiller had 26 saves to improve his record to 9-7-1.
Right wingers Adam Cracknell and Jake Virtanen scored for the Canucks, who have lost four straight games, all by the same 5-2 score.
Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom stopped 28 of 33 shots.
Jooris scored the lone goal of the third period as he converted a nice feed from left winger/center Lance Bouma just past the three-minute mark. Rookie defenseman Jakub Nakladal also drew an assist for his first NHL point.
The Flames rebounded from a lackluster finish to the first period by scoring three times in the second to take a 4-2 lead.
Backlund gathered a loose puck in front of the Canucks' net before lifting a shot over Markstrom's right pad at 2:07 before Frolik's shot from the slot deflected off defenseman Matt Bartkowski's skate and through Markstrom's legs at 5:34.
Giordano gave the Flames a two-goal lead with 25 seconds left before the intermission when he one-timed a pass from Brodie through traffic past Markstrom.
The Flames carried the majority of the play in the early going and were rewarded when Colborne took a nice drop pass from Backlund in the slot and snapped a shot to the top corner, blocker side behind Markstrom at 1:41 of the first period.
Although it took the Canucks until just past the six-minute mark of the first period to register their first shot on goal, they dominated the rest of the period and jumped out to a 2-1 lead.
Jannik Hansen did some great work to set up Vancouver's first goal at 10:41 as he fought off a check from Brodie to poke the puck past Flames right winger David Jones into the slot for Cracknell, who one-timed a shot past Hiller.
Virtanen scored 5:06 later when he intercepted a clearing attempt by Flames defenseman Dougie Hamilton before cutting to the slot and wiring a shot to the top corner, glove side past Hiller.
NOTES: Calgary D Tyler Wotherspoon played his first NHL game after being called up from the Stockton Heat of the American Hockey League. ... The Flames placed D Ladislav Smid on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that he sustained in the first period of Wednesday's 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild at home. ... Calgary's scratches were LW Brandon Bollig, C Markus Granlund and D Kris Russell, the latter of whom is out with a lower-body injury. ... Rookie C Jared McCann made his return to the Canucks' lineup after sitting out Thursday's 5-2 loss at home to the Anaheim Ducks. ... Vancouver scratches were RW Linden Vey, C Alex Friesen and D Yannick Weber. ... The Canucks return home to face the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, the same day the Flames face off against the Ducks in Anaheim.