Poehling’s short-handed goal lifts Ducks to 4-2 win over Flames, keeping Calgary winless

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

CALGARY — Ryan Poehling scored a short-handed goal at 5:35 of the third period and the Anaheim Ducks weathered the rest of the way to post a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday. Poehling scored after sliding a shot under Calgary goaltender Dustin Wolf’s pad, then crashed hard into the net and stayed down before being helped off the ice.

Anaheim improved to 4-1-0 with the victory, winning for the second straight game. Ville Husso made 27 saves in his first start of the season for the Ducks, who received goals from Jackson LaCombe, Frank Vatrano and Nikita Nesterenko in addition to Poehling’s game-breaking third-period tally.

For Calgary, Aydar Suniev scored his first NHL goal, but the Flames fell to 0-5-0 and remained the only team in the league without a point this season. Matt Coronato added two assists, and Wolf finished with 24 saves in the loss.

LaCombe opened the scoring for Anaheim at 10:02 of the first period with a power-play goal. After Judd Caulfield fanned on a pass from Leo Carlsson, the puck went to LaCombe, who lifted a shot over Wolf’s blocker to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.

The Ducks’ early momentum continued through the first period and into the game’s flow. Mikael Granlund also had an assist, and both Granlund and LaCombe extended their season-opening point streaks to five games. Granlund has six points on his current run, including two goals and four assists, while LaCombe has five points, with one goal and four assists, during his streak.

Calgary answered at 15:03 of the first period when Morgan Frost scored his second goal of the season to tie the game 1-1. Frost skated in behind LaCombe and took a pass from Coronato before tucking a shot past Husso’s right pad inside the far post.

Anaheim regained the lead late in the first period at 19:15 as Vatrano scored to make it 2-1. Poehling redirected Noah Warren’s point shot, and the puck ended up going in off Vatrano while he battled for position in front of the net with Flames defenseman Jacob Middleton.

A goal by Yan Kuznetzov of Calgary was waved off at 11:27 of the second period after Anaheim challenged. The video review determined that Joel Farabee was offside on the play, negating what would have been a Flames equalizer.

The game leveled again at 17:54 of the second period when Suniev made it 2-2. Coronato fed Suniev from behind the net, and Suniev squeezed a sharp-angle shot to the short side past Husso.

In the third period, Nesterenko found the back of the net at 17:03, finishing a goal-mouth scramble to extend Anaheim’s lead to 4-2. Wolf was pulled into the net-front scramble as the Ducks maintained offensive pressure late, and the goal ultimately held up as the final margin.

The Ducks’ offence was also supported by special teams and defensive execution through the night. Poehling’s short-handed goal at 5:35 of the third period broke the 2-2 tie, and Anaheim then held on despite Calgary’s push throughout the final stretch.