Boeser has goal, two assists to help Canucks defeat Flames

CALGARY -- Brock Boeser had a goal and two assists to help the Vancouver Canucks to a 5-1 win against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday.

The Canucks have won two out of three after a six-game losing streak, earning a split of four straight games against the Flames, who won two of three games at Vancouver.
"For our team to play a complete game tonight is huge for us," Boeser said. "I think over these last couple games we've got a lot of momentum and we just need to keep it going now."
Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller each had a goal and an assist, and Braden Holtby made 35 saves for the Canucks (8-11-1), whose two most recent wins have come after owner Francesco Aquilini said Saturday he was not planning to fire coach Travis Green or general manager Jim Benning.
"I think we just want to keep building off of it," Horvat said. "We don't want to make our highs too high and our lows too low. I think we just keep getting better and better here. We have a lot of hockey left. We've got a lot of work to do, a lot of catching up to do and we need to keep doing it."

Andrew Mangiapane scored, and Jacob Markstrom made 24 saves for the Flames (8-7-1).
"It's time to put this thing to bed and take charge and take control of what we can," Calgary coach Geoff Ward said. "We certainly can control the way we start, we certainly can control how we pay attention to details, how hard we compete, how much we care. All those things are certainly within our control. It's time for us to start [caring] about it."
Jordie Benn one-timed a pass from Horvat on a 2-on-1 by Markstrom on the game's first shot, 1:46 into the first period, to put Vancouver up 1-0.
Horvat gave Vancouver a 2-0 lead at 7:37 of the second period. He knocked down a stretch pass from Quinn Hughes and evaded Markstrom's poke check in the slot before sliding the puck into the vacated net.
Markstrom was successful breaking up a similar play against Tanner Pearson earlier in the period.
"That was a pretty big collision with him and Tanner," Horvat said. "I just tried to get my head up as quick as possible and thankfully he didn't run me over. Thankfully it went in too. He's done that a couple times, even when he played for us, so it was vintage 'Marky' there."
Mangiapane made it 2-1 at 18:13 when he cut wide around Hughes and wrapped the puck around Holtby's pad. Miller scored on a one-timer by Markstrom's glove 15 seconds later to go up 3-1. Nate Scmhidt scored on a rebound to extend the lead to 4-1 at 19:05.
"I really thought that if we can get through the period at that score or better, we're gonna have a good night, but the next shift after we scored one, they got it back and got another one," Calgary captain Mark Giordano said. "Tough to swallow those goals at the end there."

Boeser made it 5-1 at 5:54 of the third period when shot over Markstrom's glove on a 4-on-1.
"That type of mentality is what you have to have," Schmidt said. "You're going to get scored on in this league. It's how you respond to it, how you react. Are you going to pout about it or are you going to go back out there and get your licks in when you can, because you've got to be able to roll with it sometimes."
NOTES: David Rittich entered the game in relief of Markstrom at 7:47. He made four saves. Markstrom has started 14 of 16 games for the Flames. ... Boeser has scored 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in his past 16 games. He is second in the NHL with 12 goals, two behind Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. ... Brett Ritchie had one shot and three hits in 10:54 in his Flames debut. The forward signed a one-year contract with Calgary on Jan. 17.