Flames recover for OT win

The Calgary Flames are showing they have some offensive firepower along with resiliency. They needed every bit in their visit to Music City.

Mark Giordano scored 43 seconds into overtime, and the Flames edged the Nashville Predators 6-5 on Tuesday night in a crucial game between teams holding the Western Conference’s wild cards.

“This is what it’s like to battle another team that’s trying to claw and scrape to be in the playoffs,” Flames coach Glen Gulutzan said. “I thought there was a lot of character shown by both clubs, with them coming back and their push in the second, but our push back in the third showed a lot for our group.”

The Flames not only have won two of their last three, they now have points in seven of their last nine. They also pulled within a point of Nashville, though the Predators have a game in hand.

Mikael Backlund tied it 5-5 at 10:50 of the third with his second goal of the game and 17th this season with a wrist shot.

Micheal Ferland also had two goals, Dougie Hamilton added a goal and Johnny Gaudreau had four assists.

Filip Forsberg had a hat trick in the second period, and Colin Wilson and P.K. Subban each had a goal and an assist for Nashville. The Predators have lost four of their last six.

“We dug, stuck with it, Backlund makes a great play and he’s been doing it all year,” Giordano said. “To get the extra one in overtime, now we feel upbeat and ready to take on the next one.”

The Flames chased goalie Pekka Rinne by scoring four goals on 13 shots. It’s the second time he’s been pulled in his past four starts, and Rinne went to the bench at 5:12 of the second period after giving up a goal to Hamilton. Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said he only pulled Rinne trying to energize the team.

“Whenever something broke down, it ended up in the back of the net,” Laviolette said. “Even the last one when Pekka came out, he had no sight lines on it. He had no vision. There was a crowd, there was a mess in front of him. The shot was perfect in the top corner, but at that point, it’s just to change the game and change the momentum.”