EditorsNote: 2nd graf, change Talbot saves to 34; punctuation fix in 11th graf
Sean Monahan collected one goal and two assists, and the Calgary Flames used another dominating second period to claim a convincing 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday in Edmonton, moving to the verge of advancing in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Mikael Backlund, Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm each netted one goal and one assist for the Flames, who lead the best-of-five Western Conference qualifying round series 2-1. Calgary goalie Cam Talbot stopped 34 shots.
The Flames, who also got goals from Matthew Tkachuk and Milan Lucic plus two assists from Andrew Mangiapane, will look to eliminate the Jets on Thursday.
Andrew Copp and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves.
After the teams traded first-period goals, Backlund kicked off Calgary's game-changing second period by taking advantage of a miscue to make it a 2-1 game. Hellebuyck failed to control the puck behind his net on a dump-in, which left Backlund with an empty net to hit at 5:37 of the period.
Monahan added to the lead with a power-play tally at the 7:49 mark. As he drove the net, Monahan was on the spot for the loose puck to net his first goal of the series.
Copp responded with a power-play goal of his own just 20 seconds later, but Tkachuk soon restored Calgary's two-goal edge. Tkachuk, who has been at the center of controversy over the injury to Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele, was parked alone in front of the net and had no trouble finishing a golden opportunity at 12:48.
Calgary has outscored Winnipeg 8-2 during the second periods of the series' first three games.
Lucic, who had a goal taken away in the second period via review, buried a rebound for another Calgary power-play goal 8:28 into the third period, and Gaudreau rounded out the scoring with an empty-netter.
Ehlers and Lindholm scored 18 seconds apart just past the midway point of the first period.
The Jets, who lost a trio of forwards to injury in the opener, Scheifele, Patrik Laine and Mason Appleton, suffered another loss when Mathieu Perreault was hurt after being on the receiving end of a hit from Sam Bennett.
The Flames didn't finish the game unscathed. Defenseman Derek Forbort left after taking a puck to the face in the middle of the third period.
--Field Level Media
