Lindholm scores game-winner for Calgary Flames in 3-2 win over Winnipeg Jets

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames beat the Winnipeg Jets in regulation for the first time this season on a late game-winning goal from Elias Lindholm on Tuesday.

Lindholm scored a power-play goal at 18:18 of the third period in Calgary’s 3-2 victory. 

He beat Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck with a wrist shot from the top of the face-off circle.

Calgary’s lone win over the Jets before Tuesday was in overtime. The Flames improved to 2-2-1 against their North Division rival.

Lindholm said he saw Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk at the net and was actually looking for a tip-in when he shot the puck.

“I think it hit the D-man off the skate and it went five-hole,” Lindholm said. “It was a lucky bounce, but we’ll take those.

“We didn’t want to go to overtime today. It was really important to try to get a lot of scoring chances and hopefully bury one and that’s what happened.”

Andrew Mangiapane and Byron Froese also scored for Calgary (6-5-1). Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 25-of-27 shots for the win.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice for Winnipeg (7-4-1), with Andrew Copp assisting on both goals. Hellebuyck had 26 saves in the loss.

Pierre-Luc Dubois made his Jets debut Tuesday in his first game since Jan. 21. He didn’t record a shot on net, had one hit and was minus-1 in 13 minutes 10 seconds of ice time.

Dubois completed his mandatory 14-day quarantine upon in arrival in Canada after the Columbus Blue Jackets dealt him to the Jets for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic on Jan. 23. 

“First game in 20-something days, I think the legs, the hands, the head, you’re trying to get everything back,” Dubois said. “I thought as the game went on I was getting some things back, but I can play a lot better than that.”

The Blue Jackets drafted Dubois third overall in the 2016 entry draft. Both Dubois and Laine had asked their respective clubs to trade them. 

The Jet faced the Flames in a fourth straight game after going 2-0-1 at home against Calgary last week. 

It’s the lone time this season Winnipeg sees the same opponent four games in a row. 

Jets defenceman Nathan Beaulieu was serving a penalty for high-sticking Johnny Gaudreau in the face when Lindholm beat Hellebuyck between the pads for the winner.

“I’ve got no complaints (about the call),” Jets head coach Paul Maurice said. “It wouldn’t matter if I did, you know. 

“It was a tough way to lose the game. Nobody’s going to be in a good mood tonight. It’ll be a quiet plane ride tomorrow, but we’ll be back to work the next day.”

Ehlers knotted the game 2-2 at 15:45 of the second period on a 2-on-1 with Mark Scheifele. Ehlers put a wrist shot over Markstrom’s right pad as the goalie stretched for the save attempt.

Froese of Winkler, Man., scored his first NHL goal as a Flame and his first in almost three years. 

From his backhand, Froese deflected a Juuso Valimaki shot from the point over Hellebuyck’s glove at 13:34.

“It was a relieving and exciting feeling obviously,” Froese said. “I’m probably not known for my scoring in the NHL, but it was good to contribute and get that goal.”

Mangiapane earned his second goal in three games backhanding a Mikael Backlund feed past Hellebuyck’s pad at 5:31 of the second period.

Ehlers scored the game’s first goal at 3:23 of the second on a Winnipeg power play. He beat Markstrom top corner with a wrist shot from the top of the face-off circle.

Neither club scored on their one power-play chance in the first period, in which the hosts outshot the Jets 11-10.

The Flames head to Vancouver for three games in five days against the Canucks (6-10-0) starting Thursday. The Jets are in Ottawa to face the Senators (2-11-1) on Thursday and Saturday.

Notes: Scheifele extended his points streak to four games with two goals and five assists in that span . . . Mangiapane extended his points streak to three games with two goals and two assists . . . Jets defenceman and Calgary native Josh Morrissey played his 300th career NHL game.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 9, 2021.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press