Gaudreau, Backlund power Flames past Avalanche
DENVER -- Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund had two goals and an assist apiece, and the Calgary Flames beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-3 on Tuesday night.
Kris Versteeg had a goal and an assist and Sam Bennett also scored for Calgary. Brian Elliott stopped 25 shots for the Flames, who had four goals deflect off Colorado players in the second period.
Gabriel Landeskog had two goals and Jarome Iginla also scored for the Avalanche, while Calvin Pickard had 25 saves. Colorado has lost nine straight home games and is in danger of going 0-7 in December at Pepsi Center if it loses to the New York Rangers on Saturday night.
The Flames scored four times in the second period and put it away in the third when Gaudreau scored his second of the night and ninth of the season. A drop pass from Versteeg set him up, and he buried it from the slot at 10:22.
Landeskog made it 5-3 but Versteeg finished off the woeful Avalanche with his sixth goal of the season at 14:28 of the third.
The Flames tied it 1-1 early in the second when Backlund's centering pass from below the goal line went off Colorado defenseman Fedor Tyutin and past Pickard at 1:33.
Seven seconds after Colorado killed off Mikhail Grigorenko's interference minor, Bennett deflected Deryk Engelland's shot from the point and it went off Carl Soderberg's skate and in at 9:49.
Gaudreau made it 3-1 only 1:56 later when his shot went off the glass behind the net, bounced off Pickard's right arm and in for his eighth of the season.
Iginla's fifth goal of the season and 616th of his career at 13:12 cut the lead to 3-2, but Backlund again used an Avalanche player, this time the skate of Francois Beauchemin, to beat Pickard.
The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead late in the first period when Landeskog's snap shot from the right circle beat Elliott over the left shoulder at 18:22.
It was Landeskog's first goal in eight games and first since missing 10 games with a lower-body injury.
NOTES: Calgary F Troy Brouwer was out of the lineup with a hand injury sustained Friday against Vancouver. "We're going to give an update on his status (Wednesday)," coach Glen Gulutzan said. ... Avalanche G Semyon Varlamov missed his second straight game with a groin injury. It is the same ailment that cost him three games earlier this month. Jeremy Smith served as Calvin Pickard's backup. Coach Jared Bednar said Varlamov was going to be re-evaluated after Tuesday's game. ... C Freddie Hamilton and D Tyler Wotherspoon were scratched by the Flames. ... LW Cody McLeod and D Patrick Wiercioch were Colorado's healthy scratches.