Flames win 6-2 over Panthers in Matthew Tkachuk’s first game in Calgary – Calgary
Dillon Dube scored shorthanded and had two assists for the Calgary Flames in a 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
Rasmus Andersson, Jonathan Huberdeau, Tyler Toffoli and Andrew Mangiapane each had a goal and an assist, and Brett Ritchie also scored for the Flames (10-9-3), who improved to 5-4-1 in their last 10 games.
Calgary goaltender Dan Vladar made 30 saves for the win.
Nick Cousins and Sam Reinhart replied for the Panthers (10-9-4), who fell to 3-4-3 in their last 10 games. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 17 of 23 shots in the loss.
Tuesday’s game marked the return of Matthew Tkachuk, a Calgary Flame in his first six NHL seasons, to the Saddledome after his summer trade with the Florida Panthers.
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, left, sees his shot caught by Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar during the first period of NHL hockey in Calgary, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Tkachuk, 24, was a restricted free agent who told the Flames he wouldn’t sign long-term with the team.
He was booed every time he touched the puck on Tuesday, but the winger also received a partial standing ovation during a video honoring him early in the first period.
READ MORE: Matthew Tkachuk returns to Alberta as Florida Panther
The Flames got Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional draft pick from Florida for Tkachuk.
After scoring three unanswered goals in the first period, the Flames led 4-2 heading into the third.
Mangiapane and Dube combined on a second goal on an odd run with Mangiapane finishing it at 18:54.
Bobrovsky stopped Huberdeau on a breakaway with just under five minutes left, but Huberdeau got the loose puck to feed Toffoli for a single strike from the hash marks at 15:22.
Both goaltenders gave up weak goals in the second period. Reinhart’s low shot from the top of the faceoff circle beat Vladar’s outstretched glove at 16:55.
Ritchie’s sharp angle shot on a rebound tied a Bobrovsky out of position at 15:29.
Trailing 3-0, the Panthers struck early in the second when Cousins redirected Gustav Forsling’s pass at 9:54.
Andersson scored Calgary’s third goal at 13:03 of the first period. When Bobrovsky gave up a long rebound, the Flames defenseman got inside on Florida’s Aleksi Heponiemi to get an outside shot.
Huberdeau took his stick on a rebound during a goal rush. The puck deflected off the legs and sticks and ended up in the net for a power play goal at 9:21.
Dube’s backhand redirect beat Bobrovsky 2-1 with Mangiapane for the shorthanded goal at 3:05.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
globalnews
