ARIZONA COYOTES
Coyotes shut out by former goalie Mike Smith in loss to Flames
Nov 30, 2017, 10:11 PM
Arizona Coyotes' Derek Stepan screens Calgary Flames goalie Mike Smith during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, in Calgary, Alberta. (Lyle Aspinall/The Canadian Press via AP)
(Lyle Aspinall/The Canadian Press via AP)
CALGARY, Alberta — Mike Smith stopped 28 shots to blank his former team, Mark Jankowski scored twice and the Calgary Flames beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-0 on Thursday night.
Smith picked up his second shutout of the season and 35th of his career. The 35-year-old was making his first start against Arizona since being acquired by Calgary via trade in June.
Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary. The Flames bounced back after opening their four-game homestand with a 4-1 loss to Toronto on Tuesday night.
Scott Wedgewood made 41 saves for the Coyotes.
Jankowski opened the scoring 2:48 into the second by showing an elite set of hands. Set up in front on a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with linemates Sam Bennett and Jaromir Jagr, Jankowski was stopped on his first try but put his stick between his legs to zip the rebound over Wedgewood’s glove.
Calgary extended its lead to 2-0 at 10:19 of the third when Matthew Tkachuk neatly set up Backlund in front.
Jankowski added his second of the night and fifth of the season less than two minutes later. Right off a faceoff, he went to the net and scored on a forehand-to-backhand deke.
Smith, who improved to 11-8-1, had his best stop halfway through the second period when he dove across the crease to thwart Christian Dvorak.
With Antti Raanta (upper body) sidelined, Wedgewood made his fourth straight start for the Coyotes and fell to 2-4-2.
Wedgewood kept the score 1-0 early in the third with a pair of stops against Johnny Gaudreau, who has been held off the scoresheet in three straight games.
NOTES: Tkachuk played in his 100th game. The 19-year-old is the second-youngest player to get to 100 games in franchise history, behind only Dan Quinn. … Jagr (lower body) returned after missing one game. … Garnet Hathaway, just recalled from AHL Stockton, got into his first game since the season opener. … The Coyotes were without Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body), who was injured Tuesday night in Edmonton.
UP NEXT
Coyotes: Hosts New Jersey on Saturday night.
Flames: Hosts Edmonton on Saturday night.
