Huge comeback in win against Avalanche

Calgary scores five in third period to erase 4-1 deficit and bail out shaky goaltender

The building was already buzzing.

Juuso Valimaki provided an added jolt.

With the Calgary Flames still trailing by one in Thursday’s third period, the rookie defenceman delivered a game-changing play on a gutsy pinch, crunching Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Calvert to disrupt a breakout at the offensive blue-line.

The puck popped to Flames’ superstar Johnny Gaudreau, who did what he does — plattered a purdy pass for a teammate. And then free-agent addition James Neal did, finally, what he’s been doing for years — scored a turning-point type of goal.

Valimaki, though, made it happen, a key moment for the Flames en route to an epic comeback in Thursday’s 6-5 triumph over the Avalanche.

“Oh … huge,” marvelled Flames captain Mark Giordano at the mention of Valimaki’s assist. “That was just a great read. He timed it perfect, too. You have to wait until the guy gets the puck or it’s interference, and he timed it perfect. And to be able to keep the puck in the zone, all in one shot … I think that was a real turning point, too. That was big momentum there for us.

“That really put them back on their heels, and we kept going.” Sure did.

Less than three minutes after Neal’s tying tally, Giordano ripped a low shot on a rush for the go-ahead goal.

Soon after, Michael Frolik cashed in on a two-on-one — Flames left-winger Matthew Tkachuk, with the set-up, collected his third assist of the night — for the eventual game-winner.

Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan also scored during Calgary’s five-goal outburst in a wild third period at the Saddledome.

Thanks to that late splurge, the Flames extended their points spree to four straight — an overtime loss and then three consecutive wins.

They also bailed out their puck-stopping pal Mike Smith, who allowed four goals on 14 shots through 40 minutes and would have been a popular target if it turned out to be a loss. It wasn’t.

Thanks to a three-point performance from Giordano.

Thanks to a top-shelf shot by Neal, who had just two snipes since signing that big-ticket contract with the Flames as an unrestricted free agent.

Thanks to that veteran type of play by Valimaki, all of 20 years old and with 13 NHL outings on his resume.

After a scoreless opening period, the Avalanche opened a two-goal lead on a pair of memory-makers, with rookie forwards Vladislav Kamenev and Sheldon Dries each notching their first NHL goals in a span of less than two minutes.

First, Kamenev found daylight between Mike Smith and his inside post for a short-handed strike.

Smith actually stopped Dries on his first try, but the rebound pinballed off the skate of Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson and bounced in.

Mikael Backlund would soon trim the Avalanche lead, cashing in Tkachuk’s sweet feed from behind the net, but that turned out to be the only good news for the locals during a lopsided middle stanza.

Dries showed off his wheels after the puck was flipped into Calgary’s zone, speeding past Travis Hamonic and then setting up Colin Wilson for a tap-in.

Gaudreau was guilty of a neutral-zone giveaway on Colorado’s fourth goal between the intermissions, although Smith certainly should have stopped Carl Soderberg ’s shot that squeaked under his arm.

That could have been Thursday’s storyline.

Smith’s teammates made sure it wasn’t.

Just 47 seconds into the third frame, Lindholm buried his team-leading ninth goal of the season, a man-advantage marker that glanced off an opposing defenceman.

Monahan continued to chip away at the deficit with a deflection goal, then Neal shelved the equalizer and Giordano capped a superb performance with one of his own.

Michael Frolik’s insurance strike turned out to be the winner after Colorado’s captain, Gabriel Landeskog, scored with 63 seconds remaining.

Next up, the Flames will welcome the Chicago Blackhawks for Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada showdown at the Saddledome (8 p.m., CBC/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

LINDHOLM SHINES

It’s been an impressive introduction.

Especially when you consider that scorching starts have not come standard for Calgary Flames newbie Elias Lindholm.

As if you needed any further evidence that Lindholm — acquired in that draft-floor blockbuster from the Carolina Hurricanes — has been a fab fit on the Flames’ first line, the 23-year-old right-winger tallied eight times before the calendar flipped from October to November.

That’s not only tops on the team, but the most productive lamp-lighting month of his career. It’s also a trend-bucking type of start for a guy who had a grand total of four goals in 44 career October outings before his off-season change of address.