Ducks hang on, improve to 2-0 with win over Flames

CALGARY -- In the opening week of the season, the Anaheim Ducks have shown they aren’t afraid to get offensive.

They’ll look to work on making sure it sticks, though.

On the heels of a seven-goal outburst in Anaheim’s season-opener against the Vancouver Canucks, the Ducks struck five times but choked away a three-goal first period lead. However, Daniel Winnik’s second goal of the night broke a 3-3 tie and Ryan Getzlaf’s insurance tally – his second goal of the game -- in the third period proved to be the game-winner and assured the Ducks of another two points as they earned a 5-4 victory against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday night.

With a 4-3 lead, Getzlaf banged home the loose puck laying just outside Miikka Kiprusoff’s crease to give the Ducks a comfortable two-goal lead with nine minutes remaining.

But after Lee Stempniak took a stretch pass from TJ Brodie, he broke in and beat Anaheim starter Jonas Hiller to the blocker to cut the lead to 5-4 with 5:56 left in the period.

Pressing with the net empty, Hiller shut the door on the Flames.

Taking a pass from Curtis Glencross, Alex Tanguay fired a shot on a sliding Hiller with 30 seconds remaining that he was able to contain without issuing a rebound and preserving the win.

The Ducks picked up where they left off Saturday in Vancouver, striking early in the first.

Thwarted on a nifty end-to-end rush to gain the zone, Getzlaf redirected a Toni Lydman point shot behind Kiprusoff just 66 seconds from the drop of the puck.

After Saku Koivu put the Ducks up by two, Winnik gave the visitors a 3-0 edge with his third of the season at 7:23, beating Kiprusoff with a soft wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle.

Calgary would answer back on just their third shot late in the period.

With Lydman in the penalty box for cross checking, Glencross tipped Dennis Wideman’s point shot from the top of the blue paint to cut the lead to 3-1 at 16:54.

The Flames were able to close the gap to one before the period let out after a broken play by Jarome Iginla left Tanguay alone in the slot with the puck. Tanguay fired a shot that beat Hiller to the blocker with 25.4 seconds left in the period.

Carrying a power play over into the second, Glencross struck again, deflected a Michael Cammalleri shot behind Hiller at 1:13 to even the game 3-3.

Reeling, the Ducks managed just three shots on Kiprusoff in the middle frame before regrouping in the third.