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 Andersen's Anaheim Ducks defeated Hiller's new club, the Calgary
Flames, 3-2 at Honda Center Tuesday. One week earlier, the Flames
rallied to beat the Ducks 4-3 in a shootout at Calgary.
"They came back and beat us in the third when we were in their
building, so it's good to hold them off and keep it out of
overtime," Ducks left winger Matt Beleskey said.
Hiller faced 29 shots and blocked 26, while Andersen made 32 of 34
saves for Anaheim, including several strong stops against an
aggressive, third-period push by Calgary.
"When he's on top of his game, that's what he does. He's a great
goaltender and he makes those saves," Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau
said.
The Ducks got goals from right wingers Kyle Palmieri and Corey
Perry, as well as Beleskey, who also contributed an assist.
Defenseman T.J. Brodie and right winger Jiri Hudler scored for
Calgary.
After the Ducks went up 3-0 after two periods, Calgary got one back
11:02 into the third period. Brodie scored his fifth goal of the
season, as center Sean Monahan found him in the high slot off a
4-on-4 cycle play.
"We play better when we're down a goal because I think guys are less
worried about making mistakes," said Brodie, lamenting their early
deficit.
The Flames pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker with well
over three minutes remaining. With 3:11 to play, they appeared to
have trimmed the Anaheim lead to 3-2, but video review confirmed
that left winger Johnny Gaudreau's skate directed the puck into the
net with a distinct kicking motion.
Calgary would indeed draw to within a goal with 25 seconds left,
when their 6-on-5 effort culminated in Hudler's deflection of
defenseman Mark Giordano's blast from the right point for Hudler's
eighth goal of the campaign.
"They just play as a desperate team, you see it with all their
comeback wins and comeback points: They're a team that never gives
up," Palmieri said.
Anaheim received a favorable bounce to open the scoring. Beleskey's
centering pass was redirected into the Calgary net by the skate of
Flames defenseman Kris Russell to establish a 1-0 Ducks lead 4:37
into the game. It was Beleskey's 10th goal of the season, surpassing
his total from last season and putting him one shy of his career
high a mere 23 games into the season.
"When you're hot, you're hot," Beleskey said. "There's times you
can't buy a goal and today you get one off the foot."
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Perry put the Ducks up 2-0 5:04 into the second period with his 12th
goal of the season. Defenseman Francois Beauchemin launched a shot
toward the net, which hit a pile of bodies before Perry poked the
loose puck in from close range.
"Getzalf and Perry, they're not franchise players for nothing,"
Flames coach Bob Hartley said. "Tonight they played like the leaders
of this organization. We had no answer for them."
Anaheim made it 3-0 with just 16 seconds left in the middle frame. A
pivoting Palmieri lost his footing down low but swept the puck into
the net off his backhand as he fell to the ground for his third goal
of the season. Left winger Rene Bourque, a former Flame, picked up
his first point as a member of the Ducks by assisting on the goal.
"That's a goal-scorer's goal," Boudreau said. "You look at the
Sidney Crosbys and the Ovechkins, they find ways to score these
things."
NOTES: Ducks D Francois Beachemin sustained an upper-body injury
during Tuesday's game and did not return. His injury will be updated
Wednesday or Thursday. ... RW Tim Jackman dressed in place of
scratched C Rickard Rakell for Anaheim, leaving LW Devante
Smith-Pelly to play an NHL game at center for the first time. ...
Anaheim assigned LW Emerson Etem and C William Karlsson to its AHL
affiliate in Norfolk, Va. ... Ducks D Clayton Stoner (illness) was
cleared to rejoin the team but did not dress Tuesday. He could be
back in action later this week. ... Anaheim was without D Ben
Lovejoy (finger), D Mark Fistric (back), G John Gibson (groin) and
LW Dany Heatley (groin). ... Out of action for the Flames were C
Mikael Backlund (abdomen), C Sam Bennett (shoulder), C Joe Colborne
(wrist), C Matt Stajan (knee), LW Mason Raymond (upper body) and RW
David Jones (upper body). ... G Jonas Hiller made his return to
Anaheim, where he played seven seasons before signing with Calgary
as a free agent last summer. ... The Ducks have won 19 straight
meetings against the Flames at Honda Center.
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reserved.]
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