Mikael Backlund scored twice in a 13-second span in the second period to break a 2-2 tie as the Calgary Flames won 5-2 over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
Backlund gave Calgary it's first lead on a power play at the 11:23 mark of the second. Matthew Tkachuk deflected Mark Giordano's point shot high in the air and over Roberto Luongo. The puck came down at the far post where Backlund stuffed it in.
Right after that, Tkachuk's slick pass between his own legs from behind the net set up Backlund in front and his one-timer put the Flames ahead 4-2.
Backlund also added had an assist for his fourth three-point game in the last 17 games. Giordano with a goal and two assists also had three points for Calgary (24-20-3). Kris Versteeg and Sean Monahan, into an empty net, also scored.
Vincent Trocheck had both goals for Florida (20-18-8) to continue his red-hot scoring. The Panthers leading scorer has nine points (five goals, four assists) during a five-game point streak.
Calgary opened up a three-game homestand that continues Thursday against Nashville. Florida, whose four-game road winning streak came to an end, kicked off a four-game trip that seems them play in Edmonton on Wednesday.
Down 2-1 after 20 minutes, despite a 10-5 edge in shots, Calgary kept the pressure on to start the second with Giordano tying it at 4:25 on the man advantage. It was the fourth of eight consecutive Flames shots to open the second period as Roberto Luongo faced a constant barrage.
Luongo finished with 24 saves to fall to 13-12-5.
Chad Johnson, who was only tested 22 times, improves to 16-10-1.
It wasn't a very good start for Johnson, who got beat on two of the first three shots he faced, both coming on similar-looking wrist shots from the slot that went over his glove.
In between the Trocheck goals at 3:46 and 8:25, Versteeg got the Flames on the scoreboard at 6:39 when his seeing-eye backhander from off the wing slid into the far corner behind Luongo, who was screened by Troy Brouwer, and didn't see it.
Calgary's power play continues its dangerous ways of late. Ranked 30th in the NHL at the end of November at 10.4 per cent (8-for-77). It's been the league's best since at 32.9 per cent (24-for-73).