CALGARY — Matt Coronato scored a hat trick to lead the Calgary Flames past the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 on Thursday night.
Coronato scored Calgary’s second and third goals and added an empty-netter.
Adam Klapka also scored for the Flames (25-18-7), who continue to duel with the Vancouver Canucks at the Western Conference playoff cutline.
Calgary goaltender Dustin Wolf stopped 31 shots for the win, while his Anaheim counterpart John Gibson made 26 saves.
Frank Vatrano was the lone goal scorer for Anaheim (21-24-6).
Thursday’s game at the Saddledome was played amid trade speculation. Winger Andrei Kuzmenko was scratched from Calgary’s game lineup.
After the first period, the Flames posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that forward Jakob Pelletier would not return to the game.
Calgary’s Blake Coleman got his stick on an attempted clear by Gibson and Coronato scored on the deflection from Anaheim’s doorstep at 16:10 of the third.
Coronato converted an Anaheim defensive-zone turnover for a go-ahead goal with 28 seconds remaining in the second.
With Coleman providing a screen, he skated the puck into the high slot and wired a high shot by Gibson.
Flames forward Nazem Kadri objected to Ducks defenceman Jacob Trouba shoving him into the boards midway through the second. The two traded punches with Kadri getting an extra minor for roughing.
Klapka drew the Flames even 15 seconds into the second for the second NHL goal of his career. The six-foot-eight forward went backhand to forehand to stretch Gibson with his long reach.
Less than a minute after the Ducks killed off a Cutter Gauthier tripping penalty, Vatrano gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at 11:54 of the first.
Vatrano corralled a Rasmus Andersson turnover at Calgary’s blue line, gained the offensive zone and beat Wolf far top corner.
Takeaways
Ducks: Scoreless on four power-play chances against one of the weaker penalty kills in the NHL and turned the puck over too many times.
Flames: Scored in the first and the last minute of the second, despite a sudden alteration to the game lineup after the first. Threw more hits and blocked more shots than the Ducks.
Key moment
Coronato converting Gibson’s clearing gaffe with just under four minutes remaining in the game into a 3-1 lead for the hosts.
Key stat
Calgary improved to 23-3-4 when leading or tied after two periods.
Up next
Flames: Cap a three-game homestand Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Ducks: At home to the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday.
