Flames start hot with blanking of Avalanche

https://i.cbc.ca/1.5095146.1555045093!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/nhl-avalanche-flames-041119.jpg

Rookie left-winger Andrew Mangiapane scored the eventual winner and Mike Smith made 26 stops as the Calgary Flames shut out the Colorado Avalanche 4-0 on Thursday night to win Game 1 of their first-round series.

It took until 14:25 of the second period for the game’s first goal, but it was worth the wait as Mangiapane’s unassisted goal was a highlight-reel effort.

The sequence began with Garnet Hathaway’s heavy hit on Erik Johnson on the side boards. Mangiapane collected the loose puck and took it to the net where, showing tremendous patience, he wove around Nikita Zadorov and carried the puck across the top of the crease before sending a backhander from his knees past sprawling goalie Philipp Grubauer.

Matthew Tkachuk with two goals, including an empty-netter, and Mikael Backlund also scored as Calgary won its first playoff game since beating Anaheim 4-3 in overtime on May 5, 2015

A big moment in the game came early in the second as the Avs went to the power play for the third consecutive time. With all the momentum with the visitors, Smith made two key glove stops 30 seconds apart to keep the game scoreless.

First, he flashed the leather to snag a backhand off the stick of Gabriel Landeskog, who was left alone in front.

Read more at CBC.ca

You could also like..