Pospisil scores late as Flames beat Ducks 4-2 for first win of the season

ANAHEIM — The Calgary Flames are in the win column. Martin Pospisil scored the game-winning goal with 4:22 left in the third period and Calgary beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 at Honda Center on Tuesday night for its first win of the season.

Adam Klapka opened the scoring at 8:32 of the first period, but Anaheim answered with goals from Beckett Sennecke and a power-play marker from Leo Carlsson to lead 2-1 after one. Aydar Suniev tied it 2-2 at 8:02 of the second, and the game stayed that way until Pospisil scored at 15:38 of the third. Yegor Sharangovich scored into the empty net at 18:38 to close out the scoring.

Suniev was the game's top scorer with a goal and an assist, setting up Pospisil's winner. Klapka and Sharangovich had Calgary's other goals, and Maxim Tsyplakov, Ryan Strome, Simon Nemec, Yan Kuznetsov, Mikael Backlund and Joel Farabee each recorded assists. Strome also led all skaters with seven shots on goal.

Dustin Wolf stopped 23 of 25 shots for a .920 save percentage in the win. Lukas Dostal made 32 saves on 35 shots (.914) for Anaheim, and Calgary outshot the Ducks 36-25.

Anaheim held the edge in blocked shots, 20-15. Five Flames — Kevin Bahl, Morgan Frost, Suniev, Kuznetsov and Jacob Middleton — blocked two shots each. Zach Whitecloud led Calgary's defence corps with 24:16 of ice time, while Backlund led the forwards at 21:10. Jackson LaCombe's 27:46 was the game high for Anaheim.

Calgary's four goals came from four different countries: Klapka from Prague, Czechia, Suniev from Kazan, Russia, Pospisil from Zvolen, Slovakia, and Sharangovich from Minsk, Belarus, with Wolf, from Gilroy, California, in net. The win moves Calgary to 1-5-0 on the season.

This recap is brought to you in part by Animas Painting — interior and exterior painting in Calgary. Reach Rafael at 403-604-5529.