Dan Vladar posted his second shutout of the season as the host Calgary Flames snapped a four-game losing skid with an emotional 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
The Flames welcomed the family of the late Johnny Gaudreau, who spent nine seasons with Calgary before signing with the Blue Jackets as a free agent before the 2023 season. Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were killed Aug. 29 while riding bikes when they were hit by a car.
Vladar, who was wearing a special customized mask bearing images of both brothers painted on it, made 16 saves to earn his fourth career shutout.
Rasmus Andersson, Kevin Bahl and Yegor Sharangovich scored the goals, and Mikael Backlund collected two assists.
Elvis Merzlikins stopped 19 shots for the Blue Jackets, who lost in regulation time for the first time seven games (5-1-1).
Andersson cracked the goose eggs with a power-play goal midway through the second period. He set up at the top of the left circle and unloaded a one-timer set up by Backlund for his sixth goal of the season.
Andersson, who was close friends with Gaudreau, told Sportsnet in the second intermission, “That was the most emotional goal I’ve ever scored.”
The Flames have scored with the man-advantage in seven of their last eight games.
Bahl doubled the lead with another power-play goal with 2:07 remaining in regulation. The big defenseman converted a long wrist shot from the top of the left circle for his first goal of the season. The tally is his first since Feb. 27, and it ended a 48-game drought.
Sharangovich added an empty-net goal with 20 seconds left, his sixth goal of the season.
The Blue Jackets registered their first shot of the second period at the 17:51 mark, and went nearly 24 minutes without managing a puck on net.
Columbus appeared to open the scoring when Zach Werenski lit the lamp just past the four-minute mark, but the Flames successfully challenged an uncalled offside.
The Flames appeared to extend their lead to 2-0 past the midway point of the third period thanks to a Backlund deflection, but Columbus successfully challenged for offside.
