Getzlaf scores go-ahead goal as Ducks surge late to beat Flames

 

Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Getzlaf keyed the Anaheim Ducks' rally that spoiled the Calgary Flames' perfect record with leads after two periods.

Cogliano and Getzlaf each had a goal and an assist, with Getzlaf putting the Ducks ahead on a fluke score near the midpoint of the third period as Anaheim used a five-goal outburst in the final 14 minutes to beat Calgary 6-3 on Friday night.

"We needed this win. Bottom line," said Cogliano, whose goal with 4:52 left in the second cut the Ducks' deficit to 2-1 heading into the third period. "I don't think we've been playing the game we've been wanting to as of late and I guess there's no better team to beat in that situation than the Flames since they've been so strong."

Getzlaf's slap shot from the blue line went over the net and caromed back off the end boards, deflecting in off the back leg of Flames goalie Jonas Hiller at 8:53 of the third to put Anaheim up 3-2.

"It's nice to have one bounce that way right now," Getzlaf said. "I felt like I've been shooting the puck a little bit more lately and haven't been able to hit the net a whole lot. It was nice to miss the net on that one."

Francois Beauchemin had tied the score less than 3 minutes earlier.

The third-period comeback gave Anaheim its eighth win in 24 games when trailing after two. Calgary leads the league with 10 wins in such circumstances, and the Flames lost for the first time in 15 games this season when leading after 40 minutes.

Kyle Palmieri, Jakob Silferberg and Hampus Lindholm also scored in the third, and John Gibson finished with 25 saves to help the Ducks get their second win in seven games (2-4-1).

"That was as big of a win as we've had all season," Cogliano said.

Palmeiri got the eventual winner, making it 4-2 at 11:35. Mikael Backlund mishandled the puck in front of his net and when Hiller couldn't smother it, Palmeiri was right there to jam it in.

"All our forwards in the last half of the game were really good but you could tell that Cogliano and Getzlaf, two veteran players, stood up and took the bull by the horns, so to speak, and led the way," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said.

It marked the second time in franchise history Anaheim scored five goals in the third period. The other was Jan. 23, 2004.

"They were just the better team, they wanted it more than us," said Lance Bouma, who scored his 12th of the season for Calgary. "We got back on our heels after we let in a couple goals and that's not something you can do."

Matt Stajan and Sean Monahan also scored for the Flames, and Hiller stopped 32 of the 37 shots he faced. Calgary wrapped up a 2-1-1 homestand and will head on a seven-game Eastern road trip.

Stajan got his first goal in 17 games with 5:10 to go in the first and Bouma made it 2-0 with his 12th goal of the season with 9 minutes remaining in the second.

"They were better than us in the third, simple as that," Monahan said. "We've got to be better in the third, we know it as a group. We're looking forward to getting on this trip to get some points back."

The Ducks cut the deficit in half with 4:52 remaining in the period when Corey Perry's shot was stopped but the rebound bounced in off Cogliano as he went to the net.

NOTES: Linesman Mark Wheler worked his 1,500th game. ... Markus Granlund, called up from Adirondack (AHL) on Thursday, played center between Curtis Glencross and Mason Raymond. ... Flames scratches were Paul Byron (lower body) and Josh Jooris. ... Calgary has not allowed a power-play goal in a team-record 11 consecutive games (20 for 20). ... Glencross had an assist for his first point in 11 games.