Flames edge Blue Jackets 4-3 in OT in Gaudreau’s return to Saddledome

CALGARY – Dillon Dube scored the overtime winner for the Calgary Flames in a 4-3 victory over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday.

Andrew Mangiapane, Walker Duehr and Nazem Kadri also scored for the Flames (23-16-9).

Dube scored the winner on a two-on-one with Mangiapane at 2:25 of extra time. Calgary goaltender Dan Vladar stopped 21 saves for his second win in as many starts.

Columbus counterpart Joonas Korpisalo had 45 saves in the loss.

Patrik Laine had a goal and two assists to lead the Blue Jackets (14-31-2). Kirill Marchenko and Boone Jenner also scored for Columbus, which ranks last in the NHL.

Johnny Gaudreau had two assists in his eventful first game back at the Saddledome since he departed for Columbus as an unrestricted free agent last July.

Gaudreau, who ranks fifth all-time in Flames franchise points with 609, was greeted by boos and derisive chants of “John-ny” the moment he stepped on the ice.

Gaudreau was awarded a penalty shot five minutes into the opening period when Calgary defenceman MacKenzie Weegar hooked the left-winger on a breakaway.

A wave of boos followed Gaudreau’s approach to the Flames net, and intensified when he shot the puck high attempting to pick the net’s top corner.

A video tribute minutes later brought many in the crowd to their feet to acknowledge his eight seasons of Flames’ service, but that goodwill was short-lived.

The visitors knotted the score 3-3 at 4:34 of the third period when Jenner, on a two-on-one with Gaudreau, opted to shoot and wired a wrist shot past Vladar stick-side.

Trailing 2-0, Columbus pulled even midway through the second period on a pair of power-play goals in a 49-second span, but Mangiapane pushed Calgary ahead again at 16:17.

The Blue Jackets turned the puck over behind their own net for Mikael Backlund to feed Mangiapane in the slot. The forward spun and beat Korpisalo glove side.

Calgary’s Milan Lucic and Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier traded punches when the score was tied 2-2.

With Kadri serving a delay-of-game penalty, Gaudreau feathered the puck across to Laine, who dropped to his knee to squeeze a shot by Vladar at 9:53 to level the score.

Marchenko got Columbus on the board, ripping Gaudreau’s cross-ice pass over Vladar’s glove at 9:04 while Dube served a tripping penalty.

Calgary led 2-0 by 1:32 of the second period on Kadri’s team-leading 19th goal. The Blue Jackets coughed up the puck down low, and Kadri spun in the slot and wired the puck over Korpisalo’s right arm.

Calgary’s celebration of Duehr’s goal at 16:18 of the first period was delayed.

His one-timer from just above the faceoff dot deflected off the inside of Korpisalo’s pad so fast that it was unclear where the puck was until officials fished it from the net’s depths.

Duehr, who was called up from the AHL’s Wranglers for the first time this season on Jan. 7, has two goals in six games.

Flames defenceman Chris Tanev left the game midway through the first period after a neutral zone collision.

VALUABLE VLADAR

The Flames have earned at least a point in Vladar’s last 12 starts, with a 9-0-3 record since Nov. 29. That’s the longest active point streak this season among NHL goalies.

NEW FACES

The Blue Jackets have played six rookies their last 15 games with a half-dozen regulars on injured reserve, including Jakob Voracek (concussion) and Zach Werenski (torn labrum) out for the season.

UP NEXT

The Flames are at home to the Chicago Blackhawks (14-27-4) on Thursday and on the road Friday versus the Seattle Kraken before their all-star break.

Columbus continues a four-game western road trip Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers. The Blue Jackets are 3-16-1 on the road this season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 23, 2023.