Toffoli scores twice, Flames complete comeback in 5-4 OT win against Canucks
Toffoli scores twice, Flames complete comeback in 5-4 OT win against Canucks
Calgary Flames' Tyler Toffoli (73) scores against Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Friday, March 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
It was a Friday night comeback the Calgary Flames needed.
After going down 2-0 to the Vancouver Canucks early in the second period Friday, the Flames rallied, forced overtime and collected a crucial 5-4 victory.
The result marked the first time all season that Calgary (35-26-15) has won after trailing to start the third period.
"I think it speaks volume to the character that we have in this room," said defenceman Troy Stecher, who put up a goal and an assist for the Flames.
"Tonight, it seemed like any time we scored, we took a step backwards. It's not something you want to do but at the end of the day, we find a way to get two points and stay in the (playoff) hunt.”
Tyler Toffoli ended the game 3:27 into overtime, collecting a pass from Mikael Backlund in the slot and firing a quick shot over Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko for his second goal of the night.
"It's about time we came back and won a game. So we needed it," Toffoli said. "And obviously feels good.”
Blake Coleman and Jonathan Huberdeau also had goals for Calgary in regulation. Backlund and MacKenzie Weegar chipped in with two helpers.
Jacob Markstrom had 16 saves for Calgary, who won a third straight game for the first time since Dec. 7.
The Flames remain two points out of a playoff position with five games left in the regular season.
“We were pretty resilient," said Calgary coach Darryl Sutter. "There was a lot of things that could have taken you out of the game right? But it actually helped us in some ways.”
Elias Pettersson, Conor Garland, Anthony Beauvillier and Aidan McDonough — with his first NHL goal — all found the back of the net for the Canucks (34-34-7).
It was a busy night in net for Demko, who stopped 36-of-41 shots.
“We battled. It’s tough," Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said of his team's performance. "They had six power plays. We couldn't handle their forecheck. I thought they were dumping a lot of pucks. And we tried to have a game plan, I thought a couple of guys didn't execute.”
The Flames forced extra time with a late power-play goal after Pettersson was called for high-sticking.
Noah Hanifin sent a hard shot off the end boards from the point and the puck bounced to Huberdeau, who fired a rocket in past Demko from the bottom of the faceoff circle, tying the game at 4-4 at the 16:47 mark.
The Flames were 1-for-6 with the man advantage Friday and the Canucks went 1-for-2.
Calgary outshot the home side 15-6 across the second, but Vancouver took a one-goal lead into the locker-room.
The Canucks took a 3-2 lead when McDonough buried his first NHL goal midway through the second period.
Sheldon Dries set up the strike, taking a backhanded shot from his knees at the side of the crease. Markstrom stopped the shot but couldn't contain the rebound and the puck popped out to McDonough, who fired a wrist shot in 12:12 into the frame.
"It was great," said McDonough, who celebrated the achievement on the ice with his childhood friend, Canucks defenceman Jack Rathbone.
"Obviously, you dream about scoring that on the driveway or in the backyard your whole life. And to get one there was, it was pretty special.”
MILESTONE MOMENTS
Stecher, who hails from Richmond, B.C., registered his 100th regular-season NHL point.
"It's pretty cool, especially to do it here in front of some friends and family," he said. "It was a goal I set for myself at the beginning of the year. Just happy to achieve it.”
Toffoli hit a new career high in goals, surpassing the 31 he scored for the L.A. Kings in 2015-16.
Pettersson's goal extended his point streak to a career-high 14 games, with eight goals and 12 assists across the stretch.
HOCKEY PRIDE
The Canucks held their annual Pride night, featuring themed warm-up jerseys, special entertainment before and during the game, and video messages from people in the LGBTQ community.
Vancouver forward Andrei Kuzmenko skipped warm-ups in order to avoid wearing the special uniforms, designed by a local artist. He's the latest NHL player to refuse to wear a Pride jersey this season.
HRONEK OUT
Tocchet said Friday that defenceman Filip Hronek is likely done for the season as he works his way back from a shoulder injury.
"There's really no reason for him to come back," the Canucks coach said. "If this were a playoff game, he'd be in the game. But it's not a playoff game. … He's going to have a long time to get his shoulder perfect."
The 25-year-old blue liner has one assist in four games for Vancouver since being acquired by the Canucks ahead of the NHL trade deadline in March. He didn't play for his new team until March 28 because of the shoulder injury.
UP NEXT
Flames: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
Canucks: Continue a five-game homestand Sunday against the L.A. Kings.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 31, 2023.
Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston is being questioned by MPs at committee about his role, his report into election meddling, his decision against a public inquiry, and allegations of a conflict of interest.
Prince Harry entered a courtroom witness box Tuesday, swearing to tell the truth in testimony against a tabloid publisher he accuses of phone hacking and other unlawful snooping.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
The wall of a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine that Moscow controls collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe's largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war rushed to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the emergency.
A huge Soviet-era dam on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine was breached on Tuesday, unleashing floodwaters across the war zone.
Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian singer, songwriter and entertainer whose off-hand, English-language cameo on 'The Girl from Ipanema' made her a worldwide voice of bossa nova, has died at age 83.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Edmonton police launched a new tool Monday to encourage reports of "hate incidents," something officers believe will help them track people who may escalate to "hate crimes."
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
The provincial wildfire service is warning British Columbians to have a go-bag and make an evacuation plan with this year's wildfire season off to an alarming start.
Real estate experts say B.C.’s housing market is heating back after cooling off due to rising interest rates but the future is uncertain as several economists expect the Bank of Canada to hike rates again.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
The province is revealing its housing cards, as 37 more municipalities have been identified as the next group that will be required to create housing targets in their communities to help combat the ongoing housing shortfall.
A wildfire that has been burning out of control on Vancouver Island since Sunday morning is now estimated to cover approximately 20 hectares of dense forest near Port Alberni.
A grieving widow whose husband was run over and killed by a speeding OPP officer can't believe the force told her it won't hold a public hearing into the case because it decided the misconduct was 'not serious.'
A 53-year-old man was shot and killed in the Montreal suburb of Dorval on Monday afternoon. A source told CTV News that the victim is Francesco Del Balso, who has links to Montreal's Mafia.
The numerous forest fires raging in certain regions of Quebec have led to thousands of evacuations since the weekend and continue to threaten infrastructure on Tuesday. Temporary accommodation centres have been opened in nine municipalities on the Côte-Nord, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, to accommodate evacuees.
Officials are asking people living around Centennial Lake to evacuate their homes as a forest fire burns in the area west of Calabogie, Ont. An evacuation order has been extended to Wednesday afternoon.
Capital Pride will be receiving money from the federal government to cover costs of added security measures at this year's Pride parade and other events.
Flames and smoke could be seen shooting out of a home on Graham Street in Waterloo shortly after midnight on Monday, creating a scene that firefighters say was intense before they arrived.
While Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) publicly mulled moving its downtown emergency shelter to a location on 20th Street near the city's core, city documents reveal the wellness centre's present Fairhaven area location was heavily favoured early in the process.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
A grieving widow whose husband was run over and killed by a speeding OPP officer can't believe the force told her it won't hold a public hearing into the case because it decided the misconduct was 'not serious.'
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Officials are asking people living around Centennial Lake to evacuate their homes as a forest fire burns in the area west of Calabogie, Ont. An evacuation order has been extended to Wednesday afternoon.
A Ukrainian woman who now lives in Winnipeg is hoping one day she will be able to bring her husband's remains to her new home, a place he hoped one day he too would be able to call home.
Manitoba Public Insurance is suing the Manitoba government, a Manitoba construction company and an unidentified employee for more than $31,000 saying road work damaged 12 vehicles in 2021.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Calgary Flames' Tyler Toffoli (73) scores against Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Friday, March 31, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
