Mikael Granlund completed his hat trick with a last-second overtime winning goal and the visiting Anaheim Ducks strengthened their hold on top spot in the Pacific Division with a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
John Carlson collected a pair of assists and Ville Husso made 23 saves for Anaheim (41-27-4, 86 points), which has won four straight games.
Anaheim, looking to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2018, has recorded 25 comeback victories this season.
Thanks to Calgary’s second too-man-men penalty of the game, the Ducks enjoyed a man-advantage late in overtime, and Granlund buried a one-timer from the high slot with one second remaining before the buzzer.
Not only is it Granlund’s fourth career hat trick, but he is also on a four-game goal-scoring streak in which he has tallied seven times.
The Ducks have won four straight meetings with Calgary, all in extra time.
Blake Coleman and Matvei Gridin replied for the Flames (30-34-8, 68 points), who had their four-game winning streak snapped.
Olli Maatta collected a pair of assists and goalie Devin Cooley stopped 30 shots.
The Flames twice staked a lead only to see the Ducks claw back.
After coming so close to opening the scoring on a couple of occasions — a possible first-period goal was waived off due to an offside call thanks to a coach’s challenge and another play could not prove the puck crossed the line — the Flames finally opened the scoring 66 seconds into the second period.
Coleman put the hosts on the board when he redirected Joel Farabee’s pass on a 2-on-1.
Granlund tied the clash two minutes later when he elected to shoot during an odd-man rush and ripped home a high shot inside the post.
Gridin put Calgary ahead a second time at 7:46 of the third period. Anaheim defenseman Pavel Mintyukov was hurt blocking a shot, but play continued and it ended with the Calgary rookie burying a quick shot from the left faceoff dot.
But Granlund evened the score a second time with a power-play goal, finding the mark with a sharp-angled shot with 3:33 remaining in regulation.
Just before the goal, Mintyukov returned but the news was not as good for Anaheim captain Radko Gudas, who left the game late in the second period due to a lower-body injury.
–Field Level Media
