Flames catch fire on power play in 4-2 win over Coyotes

GLENDALE, Ariz. — A trip to the desert didn’t cool the Calgary Flames scorching power-play unit, and the penalty kill had a good night, too.

Kris Versteeg put Calgary ahead with its third power-play goal of the game in the third period in a 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes on Monday.

Versteeg and Troy Brouwer had a goal and assist each for Calgary, which had lost its last two games but has at least one power-play goal in its past eight contests. Calgary has 13 power-play goals in those eight games.

“The PP was good. Even on the times we didn’t score, I thought we had some good looks,” Versteeg said.

T.J. Brodie put in an empty-net goal with a minute to play to complete the scoring. Mikael Backlund also scored and Matthew Tkachuk added two assists for Calgary.

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Christian Dvorak and Ryan White scored for Arizona, and Mike Smith had 24 saves.

The Flames killed five Coyotes’ power plays, including a 5-on-3 late in the third period.

Calgary took a 2-1 lead 20 seconds into the third period with Brouwer’s eighth goal of the season, but the Coyotes tied it at 9:07 when White’s long shot bounced off goalie Brian Elliott’s leg pads and across the goal line.

The Flames challenged the goal for offside, but it was upheld after review.

Elliott, starting for the first time since Nov. 28, made 25 saves.

“The third was just all special teams. We had a little bit of everything in that game,” Elliott said. “The 5-on-3 kill, I think, was the story of the game.”

The Coyotes came out strong on offence and defence, taking 10 shots on goal before the Flames recorded their first. One of those was Dvorak’s third goal of the season, when the 20-year-old centre backhanded the puck into the net off a failed clearance by Elliott at 5:12.

Josh Jooris got the assist when Elliott’s try bounced off him to Dvorak in front. Jooris was making his home debut after being claimed off waivers on Dec. 11.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan, still looking for his 400th NHL goal, had his shot saved by Elliott with 42.6 seconds left in the first after a turnover.

The Coyotes managed just two shots on goal in the second period.

Versteeg was helped off the ice by a trainer and taken to the locker room at 7:23 of the second after taking an elbow to the head from the Coyotes’ Jamie McGinn, who was given a two-minute penalty.

“I thought it was a little high,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said of McGinn’s hit. “The league will have to do what they do to see what they think.”

The resulting power play produced Calgary’s first goal, with Backlund scoring his sixth of the season.

Arizona had allowed just three power-play goals at home this season but surrendered three in six chances on Monday.

“We made some mistakes that put them on the power play, so that’s the biggest one,” Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. “When you can’t kill them, that complicates things a lot.”

Both teams delivered big hits in the first half of the second period, which brought about a fight between McGinn and Deryk Engelland. Both got five-minute penalties.

Versteeg returned and assisted on Brouwer’s goal. Forward Johnny Gaudreau got off a pass to Brouwer for the assist just before being levelled by Alex Goligoski.

Gaudreau was also taken to the locker room after being down on the ice for a few moments but returned to bench with less than three minutes gone in the third.

NOTES: The teams combined to serve 36 penalty minutes. … Coyotes F Max Domi missed his sixth straight game due to a hand injury. … D Kevin Connauton and D Anthony DeAngelo were scratched, as was F Brendan Perlini. Perlini had played the past eight games and DeAngelo the previous five. … D Michael Stone played his 300th career NHL game. … F Lance Bouma, C Freddie Hamilton and D Tyler Wotherspoon were scratched for the Flames. Wotherspoon was called up from Stockton of the AHL earlier Monday. … F Garnet Hathaway returned to action after sitting out the past two games.

UP NEXT

Flames: Conclude a two-game swing Tuesday night in San Jose.

Coyotes: Host Edmonton on Wednesday night, the second of five straight at home.

Jose M. Romero, The Associated Press