‘No bigger stage’: Gaudreau’s OT goal lifts Flames

Simply name him Johnny Clutch. Calgary Flames ahead Johnny Gaudreau scored the time beyond regulation winner to place Calgary previous the Dallas Stars 3-2 in Recreation 7 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff collection on Sunday.

The Flames now advance to the second spherical for the primary time since 2014-15, and it will be for a full-scale Battle of Alberta: Playoff Version towards their provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers.

If there was any doubt what the second meant to Gaudreau, he made it clear postgame when requested the place that winner ranked all time in his profession.

“There isn’t any greater stage than what we simply did there,” Gaudreau stated. “It was actually particular for me. You dream about stuff like that, scoring in a Recreation 7 in time beyond regulation.”

“Among the best emotions I’ve had in hockey is when that went in,” added Gaudreau’s linemate Matthew Tkachuk of the purpose.

Tkachuk and Tyler Toffoli added the opposite markers for Calgary within the win. Jamie Benn and Vladislav Namestnikov scored for Dallas.

Netminder Jake Oettinger was the Stars’ true MVP, although, making 64 saves because the Flames smothered Dallas with offensive probabilities. Jacob Markstrom stopped 26 photographs on the different finish for Calgary.

“We deserved to win,” Calgary coach Darryl Sutter stated. “We took 100 and a few photographs [attempts]. If we would misplaced, I do know what you’d have been saying. So we deserved to win.”

True to type, Sutter wasn’t effusive with emotion after the Flames’ win, both.

“He was simply telling us he would tell us when the subsequent spherical is,” Gaudreau joked.

There have been no ensures a second-round cross was forthcoming for Calgary.

Benn had the Stars forward simply 40 seconds into Recreation 7 off a slick feed from Tyler Seguin. That 1-0 lead held till early within the second interval when Toffoli broke by to tie the sport 1-1.

It took simply 30 seconds after that for Namestnikov to provide Dallas again a one-goal benefit.

Halfway by the second body, Tkachuk scored his first of the collection from a terrific help courtesy of Gaudreau to knot the sport 2-2.

Calgary stored the stress on the Stars from there, out-attempting them 102-41 late into the third interval. Oettinger constantly closed the door, till lastly Gaudreau discovered his manner by to win it for Calgary within the additional body.

This was solely the fifth time since 2013-14 that Dallas had reached the postseason, and the Stars have been a big underdog from the beginning towards Calgary. The Stars squeezed into the sphere with a wild-card bid and have been up towards the high-flying high seed of the Pacific Division.

Dallas held its personal, although, topping the Flames in Video games 2 and three on the power of fantastic goaltending from Oettinger.

Then Calgary caught fireplace. The Flames took Video games 4 and 5 by a mixed 7-2 rating, and Dallas did not have the output to match. With their season on the road in Recreation 6, Oettinger pulled out all of the stops — 36 of them whole — to outduel Vezina Trophy finalist Markstrom and pull Dallas right into a Recreation 7 struggle.

The Stars’ high line of Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson was the group’s superpower this 12 months. They mixed for 105 targets and 232 factors within the common season and 15 extra factors in seven playoff video games. Slowing them down was the Flames’ first key to victory.

In the meantime, the Flames’ finest unit of Elias Lindholm, Gaudreau and Tkachuk made its presence felt, too, though extra so within the collection’ second half. That trio added 17 factors within the postseason to steer Calgary’s offensive assault, and it was a major issue once more in securing a Recreation 7 win with 5 factors on the evening.