By Canadian Press

Flames score 3 power-play goals, beat Stars 5-1

Dec 24, 2019 | 7:42 PM

DALLAS — The Calgary Flames overpowered the Dallas Stars.

Matthew Tkachuk, Sean Monahan and Mikael Backlund scored power-play goals and Calgary beat the Stars 5-1.

Elias Lindholm assisted on the Flames’ first three goals.

“They’re getting some nice chemistry,” Flames interim coach Geoff Ward said of Tkachuk and Lindholm. “The power play looked like it did for long stretches of last year. The key thing for us tonight was that the puck movement was quick and on the tape.”

Tkachuk’s 14th goal of the season broke a 1-1 tie in the second period. Monahan also scored in the second. Backlund’s goal in the third period preceded a short-handed, empty-net goal by Derek Ryan.

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Lindholm noticed the chemistry with Tkachuk, who had two assists.

“The last five or six games, I think we’ve played well,” Lindholm said. ”It’s a good feeling and he’s a good player. Just get open, keep building chemistry, and we’ll be fine.”

Tkachuk agreed,

“(Lindholm’s) an easy guy to play with,” he said. “He can make some great plays, too.”

The three power-play goals were also the most allowed by the Stars’ penalty killers this season.

“Our penalty kill has won us a lot of games. It cost us a game tonight,” Dallas interim coach Rick Bowness said, “but it wasn’t the only reason we lost tonight. We scored one goal.”

The Stars were without key penalty killers for four of Calgary’s five power plays. Mattias Janmark didn’t play after the first period because of a lower-body injury and other penalty killers were in the penalty box for two goals.

“We’re just out of synch,” Bowness said. “(Janmark’s) gone, (Radek Faksa’s) in the box, (Andrew Cogliano’s) in the box. That’s our penalty killers.”

Flames goalie David Rittich made 26 saves and picked up his first career assist on Backlund’s goal.

Andrew Mangiapane scored Calgary’s first goal in the opening period. Denis Gurianov countered 38 seconds later for Dallas.

Stars goalie Ben Bishop had 25 saves.

The Flames had been 0-2-1 in their previous three games. They are now 7-2-1 under Ward.

Dallas has lost three of four and is 3-3-1 with Bowness coaching.

Mangiapane took a pass in the slot from Lindholm from behind the net and scored on a shot past Bishop at 12:11 of the first period. Gurianov beat Flames defenceman Noah Hanifin and skated in on Rittich for a wrist shot into the upper right corner of the net.

Dallas had the first eight shots on goal in the second period, including three in a span of nine seconds in the first minute.

Travis Hamonic had the Flames’ first shot 8:02 in, a wrist shot stopped by Bishop. That began a stretch of 10 straight shots, including the goals by Tkachuk at 12:28 and Monahan, on a play similar to Mangiapane’s goal, at 14:21.

NOTES: Calgary C Elias Lindholm had three assists in a game three times last season, most recently on March 12 against New Jersey. … With a goal and two assists, LW Matthew Tkachuk broke a tie with Johnny Gaudreau for the Flames’ scoring lead with 32 points (14 goals, 18 assists). … Stars C Mattias Janmark didn’t play after the first period because of a lower-body injury. … Dallas C Tyler Seguin entered with a three-game goal streak, with four goals and one assist. … On Sunday, the Stars, Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks all lost.

UP NEXT

Flames: Play a back-to-back on Monday at Minnesota, in the second of three straight on the road.

Stars: Complete a two-game homestand on Saturday against Colorado.

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The Associated Press