Chad Johnson, Flames win in shootout

CALGARY-- Chad Johnson stopped two of three shootout attempts after making 23 saves, and the Calgary Flames defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-2 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday.
Kris Versteeg scored a first-period goal and in the shootout for the Flames (12-13-2), who have won back-to-back games at home for the first time this season to start a three-game homestand.
"Coming home on home ice, we needed to find a way to win, and I think right now we're learning as a group and we've got to continue this momentum," said Calgary forward Sean Monahan, who scored the deciding shootout goal in the second round.

He faked before shooting over Devan Dubnyk's pad and past his blocker.
WATCH: All Wild vs. Flames highlights
"I had no idea what I was doing, to be honest," Monahan said. "I thought I was going to come in and go high blocker, but it wasn't there. He's pretty tall, so I just tried a little move and lucky enough something opened up."
Johnson stopped Charlie Coyle's deke with his left pad in the third round.

"When guys score two goals in the shootout and it's on you to make the saves … I was just trying to make the saves as much as possible," Johnson said.
Chris Stewart and Mikko Koivu scored, and Dubnyk made 29 saves for the Wild (11-8-4), who have lost the first three games of a five-game road trip (0-1-2).

"We've just got to get sharper," Dubnyk said. "We're a great hockey team. We talk about that in the room. Just because we're a great hockey team doesn't mean it's just going to happen for us. We have to go out there and be great. We have a lot of guys in this room that can do that. It's a long season. I have no doubt we'll get back to where we were."
Koivu scored at 7:40 of the third period to tie it 2-2.
"In a game that wasn't our best -- we weren't as sharp as we'd like to be -- to come out with a point and get a big goal in the third is something to build on," Dubnyk said.
Stewart scored his first goal in 16 games to put Minnesota up 1-0 at 3:50 of the first period, but Calgary scored twice in 67 seconds to take a 2-1 lead.

Versteeg backhanded a rebound of Jyrki Jokipakka's initial shot to tie it 1-1 at 12:26, and Backlund scored at 13:33 to put the Flames up 2-1.
Backlund's was the second power-play goal Calgary scored at home this season.

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Goal of the game

Stewart redirected a shot from the point by Jared Spurgeon.

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Save of the game

Spurgeon dropped into the butterfly to block Sam Bennett's shot from the edge of the crease with Dubnyk out of position at 2:51 of overtime.

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Unsung moment of the game

Koivu got his stick out to deflect Matthew Tkachuk's shot from the slot to keep the game tied 2-2 after a setup from Alex Chiasson left Tkachuk shooting at an almost empty net with 6:18 remaining in the third period.

Highlight of the game

Koivu shot past Johnson's glove from the high slot to tie the game after Johnson made three consecutive saves on Spurgeon in a span of three seconds.

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They said it

"We're not going to overthink the [shootout]. I think I'd like to make the save, but we'll work on that. Those are just things [where] you do your best and try to bear down." -- Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk
"Another win on home ice, that's the biggest thing. Obviously [Johnson] stood on his head again for us, made some big saves there in the shootout and in that third period and kept us in that game. It's a lot of credit to him, and we've got to build some momentum here at home." -- Flames center Sean Monahan

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Need to know

Dubnyk has allowed three goals or fewer in every start, and two or fewer in 13 of the 18. … Johnson is 7-2-0 with a 1.55 goals against average and .949 save percentage since shutting out the Wild on Nov. 15. … Monahan has a point in three straight games (one goal, two assists) after none in eight of his previous nine. … With an assist on Koivu's goal, Jason Zucker has five assists and six points during a five-game point streak.

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What's next

Wild: At the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday (9:30 p.m. ET; SN1, SNE, SNO, SNP, FS-N, FS-WI, NHL.TV).
Flames: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday (9:30 p.m. ET; SN360, SNW, FS-W, NHL.TV).