Andersson gets shootout winner for Calgary; Rossi, Boldy each has 2 points for Minnesota

By Aaron Vickers

NHL.com Independent Correspondent

November 24, 2024

CALGARY -- Rasmus Andersson scored the shootout winner, and the Calgary Flames recovered to win their fourth straight game, 4-3 against the Minnesota Wild at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday.

Andersson beat Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson five-hole on a wrist shot in the fifth round of the shootout before Dan Vladar stopped Ryan Hartman to secure the win. Minnesota scored two goals in the final 3:59 of the third period to force overtime.

"We probably should've finished it off in regulation, but that happens sometimes," Andersson said. "It's a skilled group over there that has a lot of confidence right now. We bounced back and still ended up winning the game even though it was in the shootout, which is nice."

Kevin Rooney, Martin Pospisil and Yegor Sharangovich scored for the Flames (12-6-3), who swept their four-game homestand and have points in seven of eight (5-1-2). Vladar made 20 saves.

"It gives us a lot of confidence," Andersson said. "We should've won in regulation, but it is what it is and we end up getting two points. We're pretty comfortable in close games and end up getting another one. Really good homestand here."

MIN@CGY: Andersson, Vladar propel Flames to shootout win vs. Wild

Marco Rossi had a goal and an assist, Marcus Johansson and Brock Faber scored and Matt Boldy had two assists for the Wild (13-3-4), who had won consecutive games and three of four. Gustavsson made 28 saves.

"I thought we played well tonight," Faber said. "There's positives and negatives from every game and I thought we played well at times and bad at times. That's what a game is. Frustrating, but five out of six [points] on a hard road trip is something we'll take. Going forward, we know what we need to improve on."

Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov, who went down after a knee-on-knee collision but remained in the game during a 5-3 win at the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, did not play due to a lower-body injury. Minnesota coach John Hynes said he is day to day.

"I mean, it was tough adversity on this road trip," Rossi said. "It's going to be three big games for us, and especially with Kirill out ... he's our best player and it's hard when you lose the best player. We know as a team we have to stick together, and everyone had to step up today and I thought we did a pretty good job."

Rooney put Calgary up 1-0 at 15:00 of the first period when he tipped Daniil Miromanov's point shot over Gustavsson's right pad.

Johansson scored 63 seconds later to tie it 1-1 with a one-timer on a feed from Boldy on a 2-on-1 created by Andersson's neutral-zone turnover.

Pospisil gave the Flames a 2-1 lead on the power play at 19:29 of the second when he redirected Nazem Kadri's slap pass past Gustavsson's outstretched right pad.

"It feels great," said Pospisil, who hadn't scored in 19 straight games. "It was kind of frustration the last couple games because I had lots of chances and they didn't end up in the net. It feels great I could help the team that way."

Sharangovich pushed it to 3-1 at 3:53 of the third when he one-timed a pass in the high slot from Connor Zary over Gustavsson's glove on the power play, but Faber trimmed it to 3-2 at 16:01 with a point shot through a screen on the power play.

MIN@CGY: Rossi tucks puck home in tight to tie it for Wild in final minute of the 3rd

Rossi tied it 3-3 when he scored five-hole from in front with 34 seconds remaining in the third.

"Guys stepped up," Hartman said. "Down two with four minutes left, we're happy to get that one tied up, but obviously we would've liked that extra point."

NOTES: Calgary has won six games decided by one goal or fewer this season, tied for the second-most in the NHL. ... The Wild are tied for third in the NHL with 30 third-period goals this season. The Flames are sixth with 28. ... Boldy has seven points (three goals, four assists) during a six-game point streak. ... Wild forward Marat Khusnutdinov (lower body) missed Saturday’s game and is day to day.