Flames Blow By Panthers

     Maathew Tkachuk returned to Calgary for the first time since the summer trade as the Florida Panthers lost to the Calgary Flames 6-2 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday night. Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, who were the other players involved in the deal, also faced their former club. 

     Calgary(10-9-3) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 3:05 mark of the first period. Andew Mangiapane skated through the neutral zone and then angled a pass in the slot area and Dillon Dube backhanded the puck from the low slot by Sergei Bobrovsky for a shorthanded goal and his fourth tally this year. 

     It became 2-0 for the Flames with the man advantage at 9:21. Nazem Kadri sent a pass from the right wing and Rasmus Andersson blasted a slap shot from the top of the zone that was saved. Huberdeau chipped the puck from the left of the crease off a skate in the blue paint for his fourth goal of the season. 

     The Flames extended it to 3-0 with 7:57 left in the first. Dube backhanded the puck from the left corner and Noah Hanifin released a one-time slap shot from the left point. Andersson got to the rebound snapped a shot from the low right circle for his third goal of the campaign. 

     Florida(10-9-4) broke the shutout at 9:54 of the second period and were down 3-1. Aaron Ekblad sent a cross-ice pass from the right point. Gustav Forsling made a snap shot from above the left circle and Nick Cousins redirected it from the top of the crease for his third goal of the year. It was the 200th career assist for Ekblad, who now has a five-game point streak. 

     Calgary made it a three-goal margin again with 4:31 remaining in the second. Weegar ripped a slap shot that went off the end wall. Brett Ritchie flipped a shot from an acute angle by the right goal line for his fifth tally of the season. 

     The Cats cut it to 4-2 with 3:06 to go in the period. Marc Staal stopped a Flames rush at the blue line and Lundell connected a cross-ice pass at the red line. Sam Reinhart skated into the offensive zone buried a wrist shot from the high slot by Dan Vladar.  

     In the third period, the Flames made it 5-2 with 4:38 left. Huberdeau placed a pass from the end wall and Tyler Toffoli followed with a one-time slap shot from the inner right circle for his eighth goal of the season. Mangiapane added an insurance goal with 1:06 remaining in the third for a four-goal margin.