ROAD BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN BACKLUND

Second-line centre pots a pair, Talbot stops 44 shots for the shutout as Flames cruise in the Duck pond

CALGARY 6, ANAHEIM 0

This West Coast swing seemed to bring out the best in Mikael Backlund.

Heading home and heading into the home stretch, the Calgary Flames need their second-line centre to keep this up.

It’s been a so-so season for

No. 11, but Backlund was the best of his bunch on their fourgame getaway, potting a pair in Thursday’s 6-0 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks as the Flames wrapped their travels with six of a possible eight points.

Fans at the Honda Center, not too long ago, would serenade the crew from Calgary with chants of ‘You can’t win here!’

On Thursday, many exited early instead.

The Flames scored four during a first-period flurry and never looked back en route to their second victory in Anaheim this season but just their third in more than a decade.

With so much chatter about Johnny Gaudreau’s offensive drop off, there hasn’t been much focus on the fact Backlund hasn’t looked like his usual self for lengthy stretches this season.

It’s certainly a positive sign for the Flames that he strung together four of his strongest showings of the season on this junket.

Backlund tallied twice more in Anaheim, finishing off a freebie after a superb setup by one of his linemates and then picking off a pass, muscling his way around an opponent and hoisting a backhander for a short-handed beauty.

Mark Jankowski also counted a couple in Thursday’s rout, while Elias Lindholm and Oliver Kylington also found the back of the net and Cam Talbot made 44 saves in Calgary’s crease.

This game was essentially over after 20 minutes.

Lindholm put the first ink of Thursday’s scoresheet just as a power play expired, sliding a backhand through John Gibson’s five-hole and then reaching to give the puck another nudge across the goal-line.

The Flames can now unpack their suitcases for a three-game homestand that starts with Saturday’s clash against the Chicago Blackhawks (8 p.m. MT, Cbc/sportsnet 960 The Fan).

SEAN M. HAFFEY/GETTY IMAGES Calgary defenceman Oliver Kylington is congratulated at the bench after scoring in the first period to give the Flames an early 3-0 lead over the Ducks on Thursday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The Flames sailed to a 6-0 victory.