In Calgary Monday afternoon, Mike Smith made 27 saves to backstop the Flames to a 5-2 win over the visiting Arizona Coyotes.
Mark Giordano had a goal and two points in win over Arizona – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
“I think our team has realized what it’s going to take down the stretch here to get two points,” said Smith, who started three games in a row for the first time since Oct. 25-29. “Tonight was another big instance of it. I think it’s exciting. Everyone’s happy in here when we get two points.”
Mark Giordano, Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik all scored for the Flames and each had two points on the afternoon.
“The team played really well tonight,” Smith said. “That’s a team that works real hard and you’ve got to grind it out sometimes, and we were able to get better as the game went on. Our guys did a real good job to keep pushing forward.”
Conor Garland and Jordan Weal were the strikers for the Coyotes.
“Right now our goal should be getting above .500 and then it should be getting to 10 games above .500,” Weal said. “You’ve got to get to 90 points, 92 points. I think it’s going to be the line this year, especially with how tight it is on this side (Western Conference). If we can get to that 92 points, then you’re going to give yourself a good chance.”
Arizona dropped to 26-28-5
“It was one of those games we were playing hard, we were getting in there and we were trying to make stuff happen. … We were getting close and it seems like one little breakdown would turn into something big for them,” Weal said.
Austin Czarnik and Derek Ryan also scored for Calgary.
The Flames improved to 36-16-7 and lead the San Jose Sharks by two points for the top spot in the Western Conference.
Calgary is 2-2-2 in their last six matches and have won two straight.
The Coyotes missed an opportunity to climb within one of the second wild card spot currently held by the Minnesota Wild.
[WATCH: All Coyotes vs. Flames highlights]
Calvin Pickard made 28 saves in the loss.
“Not the ideal start when they score early on that tip, but I liked the pushback we had throughout the first,” Pickard said. “You’ve got to give them credit. They earned some goals. They’re really good offensively.”
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