Post-Game: Flames find a way in Buffalo

The Calgary Flames played their second game in as many nights on Tuesday night. They also played their third consecutive pretty good game, avoiding panic when they trailed after the first period. They beat the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in overtime to complete their brief road trip.

The Flames started out slow but David Rittich was sharp early, making several strong saves. The visitors got their legs under them and generated some chances later on but couldn’t bury anything. The Sabres got a lead with 3:30 remaining in the first period, as Mark Jankowski’s attempted pass went off James Neal’s skate and went the other way; Jack Eichel beat Rittich with a nice glove-side wrist shot to make it 1-0 Sabres. Shots were 11-11 and chances were 4-4.

Neither team scored in the second period, thought both had their chances. The Flames had a pair of power plays that didn’t generate very much. Shots were 16-11 Flames but chances were 10-9 Sabres.

The Flames pressed in the third period, but struggled at times with puck management and puck control – things kept bouncing on them at unfortunate moments. But they finally managed to break through as Matthew Tkachuk tipped an Elias Lindholm shot to tie the game with 55 seconds left in regulation.

Shots were 9-5 Flames and chances 8-2 Flames.

Tkachuk took a penalty at the horn so the Flames had to kill off a penalty in overtime. After they managed that, they struck again: Mark Giordano back-checked to defuse a Rasmus Ristolainen scoring chance, then sprung Johnny Gaudreau into the Sabres zone. Giordano then rushes up the ice, accepted Gaudreau’s pass and then set him up for tap-in. It was a 2-1 final for the visitors.

The Flames didn’t play a perfect 60-ish minutes of hockey and they were a bit sloppier than they were in Toronto – possibly a product of playing two games in two nights. But they continued to stick to the program and not cheat their system when they got down and eventually they were rewarded.

It also helped that they got good goaltending and timely scoring.

Let’s go with Giordano, who played a ton and was instrumental on the game-winner. Rittich, Gaudreau and Sean Monahan had good games as well.

Tkachuk’s tip-in goal guaranteed the Flames a point and seemed to give the group some jump heading into overtime.

The Flames held Buffalo to just eight high-danger scoring chances. In all five games where the Flames have kept their opponents from getting to 10 high-danger chances, they’ve gotten points – they’re 4-0-1, per Natural Stat Trick.

The Flames (7-5-1) head home. They practice tomorrow and prepare to host the Colorado Avalanche at the Saddledome on Thursday evening.