Matt Beleskey scored early in the game, and Hampus Lindholm added a critical insurance goal in the third period as the Anaheim Ducks picked up a 3-0 victory over the Calgary Flames on Sunday night in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series.
Nate Thompson scored his first goal of the postseason to seal the shutout, and the Ducks took a 2-0 lead in the series as they won their sixth consecutive playoff game.
The Ducks got off to a white-hot start in the game as they racked up a slew of scoring chances early, but Karri Ramo was up to the task as he started his first ever playoff game for the Flames. Ryan Getzlaf had a great chance early on a 2-on-1 rush, but a glove save from Ramo kept it out of the net. Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Kesler each had chances as well, but neither one would go as the game remained tied.
About seven and a half minutes into the contest, the constant pressure finally resulted in a goal for the Ducks. Kesler broke into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 rush, and his saucer pass across the ice landed perfectly on Matt Beleskey’s stick, and he buried the easy wrist shot to give the Ducks a 1-0 lead.
The Ducks got two power plays as the first period wore on, but they ultimately weren’t able to capitalize. Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler each got good scoring opportunities on the man-advantage, but neither could convert as the Ducks maintained a one-goal lead through 20 minutes of play.
In the second period of play, the Ducks’ dominance of the game’s tempo went out the window, and the Flames took control of the pace. They got two power plays and racked up 12 shots on goal during that period, but Anaheim goaltender Frederik Andersen made several spectacular saves as the Ducks kept their lead intact despite the onslaught.
The third period opened with the Flames still on a power play, but Anaheim was able to kill it off with relative ease. The two teams traded early scoring chances in the period, with Corey Perry getting the best chance of all through a screen from the high slot, but Ramo made a great save with his arm and kept the Calgary deficit at one.
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With about eight minutes to go in regulation, the Ducks got a critical insurance goal to take a 2-0 lead. Lindholm received a gorgeous pass from Perry in the offensive zone, and he did the rest as he ripped a shot past Ramo to give the Ducks a two-goal edge in the contest.
The Flames pulled their goaltender with about two and a half minutes to go in regulation, but the move quickly backfired as Nate Thompson was able to get the puck in the neutral zone and flip it down the ice into the cage to put the Ducks ahead by a score of 3-0.
The Ducks will try to take a commanding 3-0 series lead on Tuesday night as they head up to Calgary for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time.