Andrei Kuzmenko's hat trick lifts Flames over Ducks

Field Level Media|published: Sat 13th April, 01:08 2024

Mar 12, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska on his bench against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. credits: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Nazem Kadri collected one goal and two assists in his 900th career game and Andrei Kuzmenko posted his second career hat trick as the visiting Calgary Flames claimed a 6-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

Andrew Mangiapane and Connor Zary also scored for the Flames (36-38-5, 77 points), who have won two of three games. Dustin Wolf, the two-time AHL top goaltender, made 19 saves, while Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and Martin Pospisil all collected two assists.

Frank Vatrano, Olen Zellweger and Sam Colangelo — in his NHL debut — scored for the Ducks (26-49-5, 57 points). Anaheim goalie John Gibson stopped 21 shots.

Mangiapane's short-handed goal opened the scoring at 5:54 of the first period. After strong forechecking work by Yegor Sharangovich, Brayden Pachal's shot was partially blocked, but the puck ricocheted to Mangiapane to tap in for his 14th of the season.

Kadri doubled the lead at 11:53 of the first when he worked through four Ducks skaters to get to the slot and convert a long wrist shot for his 27th of the campaign.

Kuzmenko made it a 3-0 count with a power-play goal at 5:43 of the second period, coming when he pushed a loose puck into the cage.

Zary gave Calgary a four-goal edge with 92 seconds remaining in the second period by tucking home a backhand offering for his 13th of the season.

The hosts nearly completed a comeback in the third period. Colangelo, a 2020 second-round pick who signed a pro contract on Thursday, put Anaheim on the board at 2:54 by pouncing on a loose puck after Wolf got a piece of the original shot.

Vatrano cut Anaheim's deficit to 4-2 at 6:13 when he received a slick backhand pass from Trevor Zegras as he headed behind the net. Vatrano buried a sharp-angled shot for his 34th of the campaign.

Zellweger made it a one-goal game 48 seconds later when his shot from the top of the right circle deflected off a defender and into the net for his second goal of the season.

However, Kuzmenko quashed the comeback hopes with his second power-play goal of the night, a long shot that found its way into the net, at 14:22.

He rounded out the scoring three minutes later by pouncing on a loose puck for his 21st of the season and eighth in eight games.

—Field Level Media

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