For a second straight game, the first-round playoff series between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames had plenty of post-whistle scrums and third-period scraps.
But this time, Calgary ended up on top.
T.J. Brodie scored go-ahead goal with five minutes left in the first period and the Flames outplayed the Canucks thereafter in a 4-2 victory, giving them a 2-1 advantage in the series.
Brandon Bollig opened the scoring for Calgary at 6:35 of the first period, after a Mason Raymond shot bounced off Brad Richardson straight to him in the slot. But the Canucks were able to tie it up less than three minutes later, after Shawn Matthias was able to bury a loose puck past Jonas Hiller for his first career playoff goal.
WATCH: Matthias’ goal
However, Calgary regained the lead with five minutes left in the period on Brodie’s goal and never let go. While Jonas Hiller and Eddie Lack both ended the game with 23 saves, the quality of Calgary’s chances were much higher throughout.
“I thought we had some great zone time, we had some great pressure on their d-men, we had pressure on Lack,” said Calgary coach Bob Hartley.
“Defensively, we kept the Sedins pretty quiet, and this is not an easy task.”
WATCH: Brodie’s goal
The first period was free of chippy play, two days after a late-game brawl led to Flames coach Bob Hartley being fined $50,000.
The same couldn’t be said for the rest of the game. There were several minutes of four-on-four action in the second period due to overlapping penalties.
The third period saw a Yannick Weber goaltending interference penalty immediately followed by a Dan Hamhuis minor for an illegal check to Sam Bennett, who had already scored a goal in the third to give Calgary a 3-1 lead.
Sean Monahan then scored eight seconds into the five-on-three powerplay, making the score 4-1.
Vancouver would narrow the gap to two with a Jannik Hansen goal with just over two minutes left in the game.
But the Canucks wouldn’t get any chances to narrow the lead after that – and the game ended with a flurry of fights and misconduct penalties.
“They did a good job on us, and we weren’t good enough,” said Canucks coach Willie Desjardins after the game.
“It wasn’t that we didn’t have our chances…we’re in their building on the road. We just took ourselves out of the game with penalties in the third.
“We weren’t good enough and we know that.”
Hamhuis’ hit to Bennett’s head is expected to be reviewed by the league, as will an instigator penalty by Alex Burrows in a fight with Kris Russell with 85 seconds to go.
The atmosphere in the Scotiabank Saddledome was raucous as Calgary hosted its first playoff game since 2009, when they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
But the arena wasn’t entirely filled with Flames fans, as a sizable number of Vancouverites travelled across the Rocky Mountains to support their side.
“It was unbelievable. We were in the locker rooms and could already hear them ‘go Flames go’,” said Hartley. “That momentum really carried us.”
Game 4 will be played Tuesday in Calgary.
PHOTOS: Flames and Canucks fans get ready for Game 3 in Calgary
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