Ducks Complete Sweep of Flames with 3-1 win
- Updated: April 19, 2017
Bring out the brooms. The Anaheim Ducks gave head coach Randy Carlyle a birthday to remember as the Ducks completed the sweep of the Calgary Flames.
The Ducks came flying out the gates with two quick goals, and caused the Flames to make a goaltending change of their own. The Ducks continued to play with high pace and plenty of physicality in a 3-1 win over Calgary to clinch the series. Anaheim is now the first team in the NHL through to the second round of the NHL Playoffs.
After a come-from-behind win in game three where the Ducks trailed by three, Anaheim kept its good form in game four. John Gibson returned to goal after he was pulled following the fourth Calgary goal in game three. Jonathan Bernier allowed no goals and saved 16 shots in the Ducks’ 5-4 game three win.
Anaheim scored five minutes and 38 seconds into the game as Patrick Eaves picked up a loose puck along the boards and simply fired it at Calgary’s net. The puck snuck in between Brian Elliott and the near post.
Elliott headed straight into the locker room after the Ducks opening goal as Chad Johnson came into the game as his replacement.
It got worse for Calgary. Nate Thompson scored on the first shot that Johnson faced with assists going to Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry for helping Thompson get the fast-break goal.
The Ducks led 2-0 at the end of the first, killing the first penalty of the game just before the intermission.
The second period was rather quiet with Gibson having to make a few saves here and there. The Flames earned a couple of power plays and with 3:53 to go in the period Sean Monahan scored from just outside the crease with heavy congestion in front of Gibson’s goal.
With the lead reduced to 2-1, it was game on.
The Ducks earned two power plays of their own at the end of the period, and after the expiration of the first one, Perry saw a shot of his ring off the post.
Anaheim failed to score in the final 50 seconds but would start the third period with over a minute of power play when the game resumed.
The Ducks were now just 20 minutes away from advancing in the playoffs, but their one-goal lead was no guarantee of being enough to keep the Flames from trying to avoid the sweep.
Neither team threatened much in the third and with 2:39 to play, Calgary pulled Johnson to bring on a sixth attacker.
Ryan Getzlaf scored an empty net goal from just in front of the red line with 6.7 seconds to go, clinching the sweep for Anaheim with the 3-1 win.
The Ducks will play the winner of the San Jose Sharks and the Edmonton Oilers, who are tied 2-2 in their series.
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