Giordano has two points, Flames defeat Coyotes

CALGARY --Mark Giordano had a goal and an assist, and Mike Smith made 27 saves for the Calgary Flames in a 5-2 win against the Arizona Coyotes at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday.

Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik each had a goal and an assist, and Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson each had two assists for the Flames (36-16-7), who have won two in a row following a four-game losing streak (0-2-2) and lead the San Jose Sharks by one point for first place in the Western Conference.
"I think our team has realized what it's going to take down the stretch here to get two points," said Smith, who started three games in a row for the first time since Oct. 25-29. "Tonight was another big instance of it. I think it's exciting. Everyone's happy in here when we get two points."
WATCH: [All Coyotes vs. Flames highlights]
Conor Garland and Jordan Weal scored, and Calvin Pickard made 28 saves for the Coyotes (26-28-5), who have lost two of their past three games and remain three points behind the Minnesota Wild for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the West.
"Right now our goal should be getting above .500 and then it should be getting to 10 games above .500," Weal said. "You've got to get to 90 points, 92 points. I think it's going to be the line this year, especially with how tight it is on this side (Western Conference). If we can get to that 92 points, then you're going to give yourself a good chance."
Austin Czarnik put Calgary ahead 3-2 at 16:47 of the second period with a low shot from the slot. He has scored in consecutive games after being a healthy scratch the previous nine games.
Frolik extended the lead to 4-2 lead at 5:48 of the third period, scoring from just outside the crease following a turnover by Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Backlund scored into an empty net at 18:48 to make it 5-2.

"The team played really well tonight," Smith said. "That's a team that works real hard and you've got to grind it out sometimes, and we were able to get better as the game went on. Our guys did a real good job to keep pushing forward."
Derek Ryan redirected Giordano's point shot in the high slot to give the Flames a 1-0 lead at 1:34 of the first period.
"Not the ideal start when they score early on that tip, but I liked the pushback we had throughout the first," Pickard said. "You've got to give them credit. They earned some goals. They're really good offensively."
Garland tied it 1-1 at 6:27 of the second period with a backhand off the rush.

Giordano made it 2-1 at 11:20, taking a cross-ice pass from Matthew Tkachuk and skating down the left wing before tucking in a backhand after Pickard missed on a poke check. With the goal, Giordano established an NHL career high with 57 points (13 goals, 44 assists).

"I was thinking shoot the whole way and I ran out of space," Giordano said. "I just cut and hoped for the best, to be honest."
Weal scored his first goal in 16 games with Arizona on the power play to tie it 2-2 at 14:21.
"It's kind of a shot when that puck comes across the seam, the goalie has to get across the whole crease," Weal said. "It's usually a spot that's open so I looked up and it was there. First one in a while (26 NHL games), so that felt good."

They said it

"I think it wasn't our best start tonight. I thought it was a little bit of a flat start. I thought we got better as the game got going. I think we got better in the second. Third was our best period again. That says a lot about this group." -- Flames goalie Mike Smith
"It was one of those games we were playing hard, we were getting in there and we were trying to make stuff happen. … We were getting close and it seems like one little breakdown would turn into something big for them." -- Coyotes forward Jordan Weal

Need to know

Giordano is the eighth player in the past 40 years to establish an NHL career high at the age of 35 or older. … Coyotes forward Alex Galchenyuk had an assist and has five points (four goals, one assist) in his past four games. … Lindholm has eight points (two goals, six assists) in a five-game point streak and 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in his past 20 games. ... Flames defenseman TJ Brodie did not play because of an undisclosed injury and is day to day.

What's next

Coyotes:At the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday (9 p.m. ET; SNW, FS-A, NHL.TV)
Flames: Host the New York Islanders on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; SN1, MSG+, NHL.TV)