Flames beat Sabres 5-0 on Markstrom's NHL-best 5th shutout
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for his fifth shutout, Andrew Mangiapane had two goals and an assist, and the Calgary Flames beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-0 on Thursday night.
Markstrom's five shutouts in 13 starts lead the NHL and is a career high.
Calgary also got two goals from Johnny Gaudreau, a goal and an assist from Matthew Tkachuk and two assists from Christopher Tanev.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Flames (9-3-5) improved to 2-1-2 on their seven-game road trip, with points in four straight. The Sabres (7-7-2) have lost seven of nine.
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This was Buffalo’s first shutout loss of the season. Dustin Tokarski stopped 18 of 23 shots before getting replaced for the third period by Aaron Dell, who made 10 saves. Tokarski was coming off a career-best 45 saves in Buffalo’s 2-1 win at Pittsburgh on Tuesday night.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Sabres drew boos from the home crowd after the Flames scored four goals in the second period — the last three coming on consecutive shots on net from Tkachuk, Mangiapane and Gaudreau in a 1:37 span.
Gaudreau set up Tkachuk for his eighth of the season with just over six minutes left in the period. Mangiapane followed up with his team-leading 12th goal, and Gaudreau scored on a power play 46 seconds later to make it 5-0.
Tanev fed Mangiapane for a backhand from the slot that bounced off Tokarski’s glove and gave Calgary a 2-0 lead less than two minutes into the second.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gaudreau’s breakaway goal put the Flames in front midway through the first period. Skating past Buffalo defenseman Colin Miller to receive a stretch pass from Tkachuk across the blue line, Gaudreau lifted a shot into the top of the net for his fifth.
NOTES: Flames D Oliver Kylington extended his point streak to five games with an assist on Mangiapane’s first goal. … Calgary is 9-1-2 against Eastern Conference opponents and 0-2-3 within the Western Conference.
UP NEXT
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Flames: Conclude longest trip of the season Saturday and Sunday with back-to-back games against the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins.
Sabres: At New York Rangers on Sunday.