After slow start, Flames charge past Canucks

Johnny Gaudreau collected one goal and one assist to lead the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 home victory over the Vancouver Canucks Monday night.

Jacob Markstrom stopped 25 shots for the Flames, who were dominated in the first period but flipped the script the rest of the way en route to a second consecutive victory over the Canucks.

Trailing 1-0 after a first period in which the Canucks held a 16-4 edge in shots, Gaudreau cued the comeback at the 12:05 mark of the middle frame. Sean Monahan created a turnover deep in the offensive zone, and the pair executed a perfect give-and-go.

Mikael Backlund put the Flames ahead 2-1 just 85 seconds later when he set up in the slot and pounced on a long rebound for his first goal of the season.

Before the second intermission, Elias Lindholm capped an outstanding period with a buzzer-beater. During a five-on-three power play, Lindholm one-timed a cross-ice pass from Gaudreau with 1.1 seconds remaining on the clock. Calgary outshot Vancouver 20-3 in the middle frame.

Taking advantage of another Canucks penalty, Mark Giordano extended the Calgary lead at 6:40 of the third period. Milan Lucic created a turnover that resulted in Giordano getting the puck at the point, and the defenseman blasted a shot home to make it a 4-1 game.

The Flames have scored six power-play goals during 16 advantages over their first three games of the season, including 2-for-7 success on Monday.

Vancouver goals by Jake Virtanen -- coming just past the midway point of the first period -- and Tyler Myers while his team was short-handed late in the third period bookended the bulk of Calgary's offensive attack. Both of the Canucks' tallies came after the shot ricocheted off a Flames defender, but the visitors couldn't pull closer.

Rasmus Andersson iced the game with an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Thatcher Demko made 27 saves for the Canucks, who not only are struggling to stay out of the penalty box but failed to convert four power-play chances. Vancouver is 0-for-15 on the man advantage through four games.

J.T. Miller, who led the Canucks in points and tied for the lead in goals last season, played his first game of the season and collected an assist.

--Field Level Media