Santorelli helps Ducks defeat Flames

CALGARY-- Considered longshots before the Christmas break, the Anaheim Ducks moved two points closer to first place in the Pacific Division with a 6-4 win against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday.
Mike Santorelli scored twice and Frederik Andersen made 33 saves for the Ducks, who remained in second place in the division but pulled to within five points of the first place Los Angeles Kings. The Ducks have gone 16-4-2 since the Christmas break.

Hampus Lindholm, Corey Perry, Sami Vatanen and Rickard Rackell also scored for the Ducks (28-19-8). Anaheim is 9-1-1 in the past 11 games, and has points in 12 of the past 14 games (11-2-1).
"It's a little better atmosphere. We're having fun," Perry said. "Everybody knows their role, everybody's playing their role and everyone's doing the right things. It's working out right now. You just want to get in the playoffs. It doesn't matter where you are. Just get into the playoffs."

Jiri Hudler had two goals and an assist, and Johnny Gaudreau and Dougie Hamilton scored for the Flames (25-27-3). Calgary, sixth in the Pacific, has lost two straight games.
"There's still a lot of games to play but we've got to go on a streak obviously," Flames forward Mikael Backlund said. "If we can manage to do that, we'll be right in the mix but we've got to find a way to get some wins and get on a roll pretty quickly."
Perry helped the Ducks rally from a 3-2 deficit after the first period. Flames starter Jonas Hiller made the initial save on a shot by Cam Fowler from the point, but Perry kicked the rebound from his skate to his stick before tucking the puck across the goal line to tie the game 3-3 at 2:15 of the second.
Vatanen gave Anaheim the lead 1:05 later with the Ducks' third power-play goal of the game.
It's the third time in three games the Flames have allowed three power play goals. Calgary's penalty kill is ranked 30th at 73.4 percent.

"It's really frustrating," Backlund said. "We were doing so much better after Christmas and we were trying to build on it. It's tough to have so many penalties the last two games and today and not be able to kill them."
Hiller was pulled after making 13 saves on 17 shots and was replaced by Joni Ortio (nine saves) in the second period.
"It seemed like every shot would bounce off skates, shin pads, and get in the net," Calgary coach Bob Hartley said. "I thought I'd try to turn the game around, shake things up a little bit and get some momentum out of the change. Sometimes it works but tonight it didn't."
Rackell extended Anaheim's lead at 12:18. Perry curled deep in the Calgary zone before finding Rackell at the top of the circle, who beat Ortio with a wrist shot from 36 feet to put the Ducks up 5-3.

Hudler, with his second of the game, pulled Calgary within one with 6.5 seconds remaining in the second, swatting a rebound from Sean Monahan's wrist shot from the slot behind Andersen.
Santorelli restored the two-goal lead 51 seconds into the third with his second of the game to make it 6-4 after Ortio made the initial save off a shot from Josh Manson.
"I was fortunate," Santorelli said. "I just got the rebound. [Manson] made a great play and luckily it went over the goalie. It's always nice when you have a couple goal lead on a team. It takes off a little bit of the pressure. They still had their chances. We shut it down."
Andersen made 13 saves in the third to preserve the win.

"You feel better when you feel the puck a little bit," Andersen said. "Even in the first it was a few lucky bounces that went their way. That's some of the things you've got to be mentally strong to keep that away and just focus on making the next save, like in the third. We're going in with a one-goal lead. We came at them and I didn't have to do too much, but some good saves to keep the two-goal lead throughout the period. It was a wild one but a good two points."
Kris Russell (lower body), David Jones (lower body), and Matt Stajan (maintenance) were all scratched by Calgary for the game. Russell and Jones are day-to-day.
The Ducks, who have earned points in 11 of their past 12 road games, will finish a season-high seven-game road trip through four time zones with games against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday and Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. The Flames continue a three-game homestand against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.

Gaudreau gave the Flames a 1-0 lead with a power play goal 5:56 into the game. Gaudreau darted off the goal line and Andersen stopped his initial backhand, but Kevin Bieksa pushed Gaudreau into the Ducks goaltender when the loose puck crossed the goal line. Video review confirmed that the puck entered the Anaheim net in a legal fashion.
Lindholm tied the game 1-1, with a power-play goal at 9:59, sending a slap shot from the point through traffic and by Hiller's blocker.

Hamilton, on the power play, and Santorelli, at even strength, scored goals 2:26 apart.
"[Thompson] made a great play," Santorelli said. "He drove the net and provided a screen for me. I don't think he saw it so it was lucky to go in. [Thompson] made a great play by driving there. If he doesn't drive there I don't think I get that cut. It was a joint effort, for sure."
Hudler gave Calgary a 3-2 lead with 2:55 remaining in the first. Off the rush, Gaudreau cut to the middle before passing off to Hudler, whose centering feed to Monahan deflected off the stick of Simon Depres and behind Andersen to put Calgary up 3-2.