The Calgary Flames were four points out of a wild-card spot heading into their game and were 0-18-3 when trailing after two periods. Those changed Friday night.
Tyler Toffoli scores on Thatcher Demko to give Calgary a 5-4 overtime win.The Calgary Flames' first late comeback of the year couldn't have come at a more opportune time.
Trailing the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 going into the third period at Rogers Arena on Friday night, and knowing the Winnipeg Jets had already defeated the Detroit Red Wings, a power-play goal from Jonathan Huberdeau with 3:13 left in the third period earned the visitors a point and forced overtime.
And after coming into Friday's game with an 0-18-3 record when trailing after two periods, Tyler Toffoli bumped that slump when he converted a pass from Mikael Backlund on a 2-on-1 rush up over a sprawling Thatcher Demko to give his team the win at 3:27 into the extra frame.
"It's just good to finally come back after two periods," Huberdeau said. "At this time of the year, it's really important."
Despite controlling most of the play early on, the Flames were in a 2-0 hole by the 36-second mark of the second period, thanks to an opportunistic breakaway goal by Conor Garland and a power-play one-timer from Elias Pettersson, his 36th goal of the year.
But that lead held for barely two minutes in a high-scoring middle frame.
At 2:55, Toffoli converted a give-and-go with Andrew Mangiapane for his 32nd of the year, a new career high.
Blake Coleman tied the game at the nine-minute mark, then Aidan McDonough restored Vancouver's lead with his first career NHL goal before former Canuck Troy Stecher converted a feed from Nazem Kadri to tie the game once again with 4:08 left in the second.
This time, the Canucks needed just 14 seconds to jump back on top. Anthony Beauvillier beat Jacob Markstrom off the rush for his 17th of the year, and the Flames went into the dressing room in a one-goal hole, despite outshooting Vancouver 26-12 through 40 minutes.
Huberdeau was also foiled by Demko on a second-period shootout attempt before exacting his revenge with the game-tying goal in the third. It was his first power-play marker since Dec. 12 and just his fourth of the year with the man advantage.
After the game, coach Darryl Sutter praised Huberdeau for sticking with the game plan after that disappointment.
"Jonny — he missed the penalty shot. You probably could go the other way a little bit with your game," he said. "But he didn't. He got better."
While the Flames have played solid 5-on-5 hockey all season, their lack of power-play punch has been one of the reasons why they've struggled to score goals. But that part of their game has shown improvement. In their last 11 games, they're an impressive 9-for-31 for 29 percent, including 1-for-6 on Friday.
"When we won face-offs, we were really good," said Sutter of his team's execution with the man advantage. He also pointed out the Canucks' 14 shorthanded goals, the second-highest in the league.
"They put a lot of pressure up ice," he explained. "You can practise breakouts all you want, but they don't allow you to do it. They block everything off at the blueline, so you're never getting set up. But when we won faceoffs and stayed in (the offensive zone), we were fine."
Backlund has been the most reliable power-play producer over these last 11 games, leading the Flames with points. On Friday, he picked up two primary assists at even strength. That gives him 35 helpers for the year — a new career high. Backlund's 52 points are also just one shy of his previous personal best from 2016-17.
Toffoli and Sutter won a Stanley Cup together with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. And the 30-year-old has been Sutter's top dog over these last 11 games, leading the Flames in points (15) and goals (seven) — when no one else has more than four — and is shooting at a lofty 17.1 percent.
Now 4-1-0 in their last five games, the desperate Flames are finally getting the results that have eluded them for much of the season. But for now, their playoff destiny remains out of their hands.
After Friday's games, Calgary remains two points out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, currently held by the Winnipeg Jets.
The Flames and Jets each have six games left — and Calgary has a decidedly softer schedule, with five games against current non-playoff teams. Winnipeg sees just two non-playoff teams, along with the powerhouse New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche.
The sixth game is a head-to-head matchup next week. Circle Wednesday, April 5, when the rested Jets will host a Calgary team playing its third game in four nights at the Canada Life Centre.
With a playoff spot potentially hanging in the balance, the stakes don't get much higher. And Huberdeau is hopeful that the momentum of Friday's comeback win will put some more wind behind their sails.
"It's a big comeback win and a much-needed win," he said. "We're down two points (behind Winnipeg). That was important, not to fall back to four. Keep going. Keep grinding."
Sutter believes that any emotional power that comes with an important win is ephemeral.
"That's all it gets you, is two points," he mused.
The Flames return home to face the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. The Canucks will continue their final homestand of the year on Sunday against the Los Angeles Kings.