In Calgary, the Flames and visiting Columbus Blue Jackets skated to a 2-2 tie after the first 20 minutes of play on Thursday night.
After that, the Flames burned out, and the Blue Jackets scored three unanswered goals in a 5-2 win.
Daniil Tarasov made 28 saves in the win.
The Blue Jackets moved to 15-23-9, snapping a two-game skid.
“We found a way,” Columbus’ Damon Severson said. “We knew we had to grind and raise our level. We talk about just having a higher standard, and if each person, each individual does their job then you have a higher standard and things are going to go your way. It hasn’t gone our way for most of the season in the win column, but tonight we grinded one out and it feels a lot better.”
Columbus grabbed a 1-0 lead at 2:50 of the opening stanza on a marker from Yegor Chinakhov.
Calgary replied when MacKenzie Weegar tied the game, 1-1, at 7:26 .
Columbus reclaimed the lead on Severson’s marker at 11:48 for a 2-1 lead to the Blue Jackets.
“Sometimes you get the bounces for sure,” Severson said. “We’ve had our fair share not go our way this year unfortunately. It was nice to see that, get a few bounces for sure tonight.”
Calgary got even on a strike by Connor Zary at 14:42, to send the game to the middle frame tied, 2-2.
“I thought we played well in the first,” Calgary’s Mikael Backlund said. “We had 18 shots in the first, and in the second period, we had four or five. It’s a big difference and tells the story about the game. We came out, played well and just let the game get out of hand in the second.”
The Flames dropped to 21-22-5 off their fourth straight loss.
“It’s unacceptable,” Calgary defenseman Chris Tanev said. “Four straight losses at home when you’re trying to make the playoffs. We keep making mistakes. You’ve got to do all the little things right, all the details. Those are the things that win you hockey games, and we can’t seem to do them right now.”
It was all Columbus after the second period.
Alexandre Texier staked the Blue Jackets to the game-winner on a shorthanded goal at 6:33 of the second period for a 3-2 advantage.
It was Columbus’ first shortie of the campaign.
“It was a big one,” Texier said. “I think it was a great play by [Sean Kuraly] to jump up the ice. It’s good. I think we’ve been playing good on the PK, so it was good to get one.”
Dmitri Voronkov added some breathing room for Columbus at 13:43 of the third and a 4-2 lead to the Jackets.
Adam Fantilli potted an empty-net goal at 18:18 for the 5-3 final count on the scoreboard.
“Happiest with the way we grinded in certain situations,” Severson said. “Not every night’s going to be pretty. Not every play is going to be perfect. And we get that. They’re going to get chances and we’re going to get chances. Just the general feel of the game, I felt we were engaged for the most part and we didn’t sit back. The aggressiveness was probably a key for us tonight.”
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Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves in the loss.
The Flames’ Oliver Kylington iced his first match since May 2022, he returned from slef care his mental health.
“I felt pretty good,” Kylington said. “I just tried to keep it simple from the beginning and just let the game come to me.”
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