VAN-quished

VANCOUVER — Just call 'em the road warriors.

Facing a fourth game in six nights - including two back-to-backs across four time zones - the Flames found their stride, capping off the week, and kicking off this bi-coastal five-game road trip with a 5-2 triumph over the Canucks at Rogers Arena.

Calgary got goals from five different skaters: Morgan Frost, Connor Zary, Kevin Bahl, Yegor Sharangovich and Blake Coleman. They got a 28-save performance from Dustin Wolf in goal. And Rasmus Andersson chipped in with his second three-point night of the week - upping his League-leading weekly total to nine - as the Flames collected their third consecutive win.

Coleman's goal, a third-period shorty, was a milestone marker, the veteran forward collecting his 300th career NHL point.

"I thought our guys, they showed a lot of resolve, and they showed a lot of energy for, you know a back-to-back like this one," Flames Head Coach Ryan Huska said following the win. "Even giving up the first goal, I thought we pushed hard after that as well.

"So I'm really proud of them. I thought they played well this stretch of games."

"I'm really proud of our group," Coleman added. "I think could have had every excuse in the book tonight. A couple of tough back-to-backs, getting in late. Really quick turnaround, and gave up an early goal. You can go down the line, but guys dug in and we took over the game.

"I think we're really starting to find our rhythm."

The Canucks opened the scoring 1:05 into the first period after defenceman Filip Hronek converted on an odd-man rush.

The early deficit did not faze the Flames one bit, though. After killing a minor penalty, the offence went to work, tying the game at 7:33 on a nifty deflection by Frost. Matt Coronato did some good work to keep the puck in at the left point before sifting it cross-ice to an open Andersson. The defender’s low shot found Frost’s blade in the low slot, and he re-directed it past Vancouver starter Kevin Lankinen for his fifth of the season.

Zary broke the tie 35 seconds later. A low point shot from Blake Coleman caromed off a skate to Mikael Backlund, who forced Lankinen into a save from the low slot. But Zary crashed the net, found the rebound, and tucked it into the yawning cage.

The Flames led 2-1 after 20 minutes, but would not have done so without Wolf’s help. He made a dozen saves in the opening frame, including a one-timer robbery off Jake DeBrusk before stoning Linus Karlsson from the slot after a turnover in the Calgary zone.

In the second, the momentum continued to build in the Flames' favour.

The midpoint of period two brought another goal for the visitors, this time from Bahl, who launched a shot from the left circle that hit a Vancouver defenceman's skate and zipped past Lankinen.

Sharangovich added to the lead six minutes later to cap off an extended spell of O-zone pressure. Nazem Kadri carried the puck in, dancing around a Canucks defenceman before putting a puck on target. The play reloaded to the point to Andersson, who fired a shot on goal that prompted a waist-high rebound in Sharangovich’s wheelhouse in the slot. His check swing made its way though the proverbial infield, past Lankinen, and into the Vancouver net to give the Flames a 4-1 advantage through 40 minutes.

Coleman added insurance in the third, re-directing a hard pass to the slot by Backlund after the Flames captain forced a turnover in the defensive zone and put his legs in motion, turning Vancouver powerplay pressure into a short-handed 2-on-1 rush that ended with the puck slipping through Lankinen's legs.

Quinn Hughes got one back for the hosts on the same man-advantage to round out the scoring, and the Flames held firm the rest of the way, limiting the Canucks to a half-dozen high-danger chances at even strength over the evening.

The Lineup:

FORWARDS

Jonathan Huberdeau - Morgan Frost - Matt Coronato

Yegor Sharangovich - Nazem Kadri - Joel Farabee

Connor Zary - Mikael Backlund - Blake Coleman

Ryan Lomberg - John Beecher - Adam Klapka

DEFENCE

Kevin Bahl - Rasmus Andersson

Yan Kuznetsov - MacKenzie Weegar

Joel Hanley - Brayden Pachal

GOALTENDERS

Dustin Wolf - starter

Devin Cooley

They Said It:

The Numbers Game:

Shots: CGY 21, VAN 30

Powerplay: CGY 0-4, VAN 1-4

Faceoffs: CGY 50.9%, VAN 49.1%

Hits: CGY 15, VAN 17

Blocked shots: CGY 15, VAN 11

5-on-5 Scoring Chances: CGY 17, VAN 19

5-on-5 High-Danger Scoring Chances: CGY 10, VAN 6

Up Next:

The Flames will travel to the Sunshine State Monday, with their next action set for Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. MT against the Tampa Bay Lightning.