The Anaheim Ducks arrived at the Scotiabank Saddledome trailing early, but they mounted a decisive third-period surge to defeat the host Calgary Flames 5-3 on Saturday. The visitors took the lead late in the opening frame before Calgary responded, but it was the Ducks’ late-game offense that proved decisive in front of a crowd of 17,455.
Early Back-and-Forth
The game began with a flurry of action from the home side. William Stromgren opened the scoring for Calgary with a backhand goal, assisted by Zayne Parekh and Yan Kuznetsov. The Ducks quickly answered when Jeff Malott scored an unassisted wrist shot to tie the game at 1-1. However, the Flames regained the lead with two consecutive goals. Joel Hanley scored a slap shot, assisted by Morgan Frost and Simon Nemec, to make it 2-1. Joel Farabee followed with a snap shot, assisted by Parekh and Frost, to extend the home advantage to 3-1. The first period concluded with Calgary holding a three-goal lead.
Second-Period Adjustment
Calgary managed to hold a 3-1 lead entering the second intermission. In the middle frame, the Ducks chipped away at the deficit. Tristan Luneau scored a snap shot, assisted by Jackson LaCombe and Leo Carlsson, to cut the lead to 3-2. The period ended with the Flames still ahead by one goal, setting the stage for a tighter final twenty minutes.