In Buffalo Wednesday night, the visiting Calgary Flames broke out to a 5-0 advantage over 40 minutes and coasted to a 5-1 win over the Sabres.
David Rittich made 25 saves to pick up the win.
Mark Giordano, Mark Jankowski, and Sam Bennett had a goal each and two points on the night for the Flames.
“It was big for our team to get off to a good start early… and to not let up,” Jankowski said. “I think if we had got a couple we could’ve laid back a little bit and maybe gave them a chance to get back in the game and we didn’t do that. We stayed on them and pressed hard throughout the whole game.”
The Flames improved to 33-25-10 and trail the second wild card spot by a point.
“I thought they [Bennett-Jankowski-Garnet Hathaway line] had great jump in the first,” Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said. “I thought they did a really good job. You know, our bottom lines have played, if you look at the last three, four games, have played real hard, and it was good tonight that they got us going on the score sheet.”
Sean Monahan and Dougie Hamilton also scored for the Flames.
“We had to keep working and not get cute with the puck,” Hamilton said. “We just had to keep working and make sure we were playing for each other and making the right plays and we did a good job of that.”
The loss dropped the Sabres to 21-35-11.
Casey Nelson had the lone Sabres goal with 18 seconds left in the game.
“I don’t really care about the shutout. How we get the two points, that’s more important right now,” Rittich said. “So, we need every single point, every game, and we got two today. It’s great for us.”
[WATCH: All Flames vs. Sabres highlights]
Chad Johnson got the start for the Sabres but was given the hook after surrendering the fourth Flames goal; he had made 18 saves.
“It’s difficult to swallow. I mean, I thought we had good preparation. I thought we had good preparation, we talked about their desperation. You know, they’re saying these are their playoff lives, these next two games on the road, and I don’t think we respected that,” Buffalo head coach Phil Housley said after the game.
Robin Lehner came into the game and made 19 saves in relief.
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