In Calgary, the Flames tried to make it look easy with a four-goal first period but the Arizona Coyotes made a game of it in 4-2 win for Calgary.
Michael Frolik, Dennis Wideman, Lance Bouma, and Mikael Backlund all scored in the first for the Flames as they raced out to a 4-0 lead.
“It’s definitely a better mood, for sure, if you can come with the win like that on the last day of the year,” Frolik said. “We’re happy that we finished it with the two (points), and hopefully we can start building new in 2017.”
Brian Elliott made 27 stops to seemingly find his stride as he won his fourth straight start in the Calgary nets.
The Coyotes fell to 11-21-5 on the season and Louis Domingue made 20 saves in the losing effort.
“I dug the team into a hole in the first period,” Domingue said. “I can take the blame because every time you give up four goals on nine shots, you’ve just got to look at yourself in the mirror. You can’t point fingers. It’s just bad on my part.”
After losing to the New York Rangers Thursday night, the Coyotes met with their head coach, Davie Tippett after the game and then met as a players-only confab in an effort to clear the air; but that may not have worked out well.
Brendan Perlini and Martin Hanzal were the goal scorers for Arizona.
“It’s just getting to the point where it’s embarrassing,” Hanzal said. “It’s on us. It’s on the players. We’ve got to stick together and start playing desperate, because it’s just not desperate enough.”
WATCH: All Coyotes vs. Flames highlights
Arizona did settle down after the opening frame but by then the game was gone.
“Three offensive-zone penalties and four goals on six shots, pretty much that was the game. Crazy how it goes, we actually had some chances early on. When that happens in a game, you’re chasing it, and it’s a long way back,” Tippett said.
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