Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl scored power-play goals and Calgary beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 on Tuesday after the Flames honored the late Johnny Gaudreau with a pregame tribute.
Dan Vladar had a 16-save shutout, Yegor Sharangovich scored into an empty net and Mikael Backlund had two assists for Calgary.
Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins stopped 19 of 21 shots.
Photo: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images / USA Today
Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau were honored before the game with the Gaudreau family in attendance. Players on both teams had the name Gaudreau and Johnny’s No. 13 on their pregame jerseys.
The brothers were struck by a vehicle and killed while cycling together on Aug. 29 in New Jersey.
Johnny Gaudreau played eight seasons with the the Flames before playing two seasons with Columbus. His father, Gus, skated with the Flames on Monday and Tuesday.
Photo: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images / USA Today
The Saddledome chanted “Johnny” during the tribute and “Johnny Hockey” after the Flames took a 2-0 lead late in the third.
Blue Jackets did not make Vladar work hard enough with 16 shots — just three in the second period — and few chances generated from close range. They had four penalties to Calgary’s one.
The Flames recovered quicker than the Blue Jackets from the game’s emotional start. Played disciplined with one penalty and spent more sustained time in the offensive zone than Columbus.
Andersson, who was a close friend of Gaudreau’s, pointed to his family seated in a Saddledome box after scoring for the Flames.
The Flames extended their home win streak to six games for the first time since the 2021-2022 season, when they matched the franchise record of 11 games, which was first accomplished in 2015-2016.
The Blue Jackets travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers today, while the Flames host the St Louis Blues.
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