Kuzmenko plays OT hero, Flames sink Sharks 3-2 to stop skid
Andrei Kuzmenko scored a power-play goal 2:58 into overtime and the Calgary Flames came back to beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Kuzmenko put in the puck off a scramble in front for the Flames, who had lost three straight and eight of nine. Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri also scored for Calgary, which converted two of its three power-play opportunities.
“We're scoring goals, and they're crucial goals in these hockey games,” Kadri said. “As a group, I think we take pride in trying to give our group a boost of energy.
“When things aren't going too well, we're accountable with one another. I think that's important. When you're playing with confidence, obviously it's a lot smoother.”
William Eklund and Jacob MacDonald had the goals for San Jose.
The last-place Sharks have dropped four of five. San Jose would clinch the worst record in the NHL and have a 25.5 per cent chance of winning the top pick in the draft lottery if Chicago wins at St. Louis on Wednesday.
“We just cheated the game,” Sharks coach David Quinn said. “I thought in the second and third, we were wanting it to be easy. We were hoping that things were going to happen instead of approaching the game the honest way and the right way.
“I thought we were fortunate to get into overtime.”
Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, starting against his hometown team, made 20 saves. The 22-year-old Gilroy native had family in attendance, including his grandmother, who got to see him play in the NHL for the first time.
“Coming from a small town, and playing against your hometown team, is something you obviously dream of, and pretty cool,” Wolf said.
Calgary coach Ryan Huska said the Flames knew it was an important night for Wolf.
“I thought when he had to make some saves, he did a good job,” Huska said. “And he looked calm and composed.”
Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 38 shots for the Sharks.
Eklund scored on a backhand after a lead pass from Fabian Zetterlund to give the Sharks a 1-0 lead after one period. Eklund, who had a hat trick on Saturday, has points in 10 of his last 11 home games.
MacDonald scored early in the second to double the San Jose lead, but Calgary responded with goals by Andersson at even strength and Kadri on the power play to tie the game going into the third.
Kadri said the Flames had a “below-average first period.”
“For the next 40 (minutes), we dominated,” he said. “I think we deserved that one.”
Sharks forward Filip Zadina missed the game with a lower-body injury.
UP NEXT
Flames: Visit the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.
Sharks: Visit the Seattle Kraken on Thursday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
Conservatives push motion calling for Carney to testify, say it's about 'accountability'
The federal Conservatives made good on their promise to push for former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney to testify before MPs, resulting in a heated political debate in Ottawa on Tuesday.
Freeland previews omnibus budget bill, proposed capital gains tax change left out
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
London Drugs stores remain closed, 'cybersecurity incident' may have breached personal data
London Drugs says it is working with third-party security experts as the company tries to reopen dozens of stores across Western Canada that were shuttered by a cybersecurity incident Sunday.
McGill requests 'police assistance' over pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University says it has 'requested police assistance' about the pro-Palestinian encampment on its lower field.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.