Ducks Defeat Flames In Game 5 OT To Advance To First Conference Finals Since 2007
ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — Corey Perry scored the game-winning goal in overtime and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Calgary Flames in Game 5 to advance to the Conference Finals on Sunday night.
Matt Beleskey got the tying power-play goal early in the third period for the Ducks, who will face the Chicago Blackhawks for a spot in the Stanley Cup finals.
The Pacific Division champion Ducks are in their first conference finals since 2007, the year of their only NHL championship.
Perry limped off the ice in the second period with an apparent leg injury, but returned moments later. He wrapped up the night with his NHL-leading 15th point of the postseason, cashing in a rebound for his seventh goal.
Frederik Andersen made 17 saves and Ryan Kesler scored a power-play goal in the second period for the Ducks, who have won eight of their nine playoff games this spring.
Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau scored early goals for the Flames in the final game of their first playoff trip since 2009.
Anaheim had won just two playoff rounds in its first seven seasons since the 22-year-old Ryan Getzlaf and Perry raised the Cup, but the Ducks have doubled that total this spring with their 8-1 rampage through the Pacific Division bracket.
Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau is in his first conference finals after seven postseason trips with some of the NHL's best regular-season teams in Washington and Anaheim.
Karri Ramo stopped 44 shots for the Flames, but his teammates struggled to keep up with Anaheim after surprising Vancouver in the first round of their first playoff appearance since 2009. Calgary has lost 22 consecutive games at Honda Center since April 25, 2006, the second-longest such streak in NHL history.
Anaheim returned from Alberta with solid control of its second straight playoff series, following up a sweep of Winnipeg by outscoring Calgary 16-7 in the first four games. The Ducks lost Game 3 in overtime after a last-minute tying goal, but otherwise outworked the young Flames in three solid wins.
Hudler scored midway through the first period after Kesler got a double minor for high-sticking Sean Monahan, wiring a high shot past Andersen for the first point of the series by Calgary's top regular-season scorer.
Kesler evened it early in the second period, putting a clever pass from Jakob Silfverberg past Ramo for his fourth goal of an outstanding postseason. Just 56 seconds later, the Ducks left a juicy turnover in the slot for Gaudreau, whose wrist shot beat Andersen for his fourth postseason goal.
The Ducks got an enormous scare late in the period when Perry collapsed on the ice and crawled to the bench after a leg-on-leg hit from Calgary's Matt Stajan. Perry wouldn't put weight on his right leg as he hobbled up the tunnel, but the 2011 NHL MVP returned to the bench and the ice moments later, getting a standing ovation and sparking Anaheim's furious finish to the second period.
The Ducks' momentum continued after the intermission, and Beleskey artfully deflected Beauchemin's shot for his fifth goal. Anaheim built a huge shots advantage in the period and held Calgary without a shot for more than nine minutes, but couldn't avoid OT.
NOTES: Beleskey's five-game goals streak surpassed the club record accomplished three times, including Teemu Selanne's four-game streak in 2011. Chicago's Patrick Kane also put up a five-game streak in the current postseason. ... Anaheim's power play improved to 9 for 29 in the postseason. ... Ducks captain Getzlaf celebrated his 30th birthday. Perry turns 30 next Saturday.
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