Flames 3-0 Blue Jackets (December 3, 2024) Game Recap

CALGARY, Alberta – Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl scored power-play goals and Calgary beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 on Tuesday night after the Flames honored the late Johnny Gaudreau with a pre-game tribute.

Dan Vladar posted a 16-save shutout, Yegor Sharangovich scored into an empty net and Mikael Backlund had two assists for Calgary.

Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins stopped 19 of 21 shots.

Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were honored before the game in the presence of the Gaudreau family. Players from both teams wore Gaudreau’s name and Johnny’s No. 13 on their jerseys before the game.

The brothers were struck and killed by a vehicle while cycling together in New Jersey on August 29th.

Johnny Gaudreau played eight seasons with the Flames before playing two seasons with Columbus. His father, Gus, skated with the Flames on Monday and Tuesday.

The Saddledome chanted “Johnny” and “Johnny Hockey” during the tribute after the Flames took a 2-0 lead late in the third period.

Takeaways

Blue Jackets: Didn’t make Vladar work hard enough with 16 shots – just three in the second period – and few close-range opportunities. He took four penalties, Calgary one.

Flames: Recovered from the game’s emotional start quicker than the Blue Jackets. Played disciplined with a penalty kill and spent more time in the offensive zone than Columbus.

Key moment

Andersson, who was a close friend of Gaudreau, pointed to his family sitting in a Saddledome box after he scored for the Flames.

Key statistics

The Flames extended their home winning streak to six games for the first time since 2021-22, tying the franchise record of 11 games first set in 2015-16.

Next

The Blue Jackets travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers on Thursday, while the Flames host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl