Giordano scores in OT to lift Flames over Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Jeff Glass (30) makes a save as Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano (5) tries to score during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 4-3. (Sergei Belski-USA Today Sports)

CALGARY, Alberta: Mark Giordano scored 52 seconds into overtime to lift the Calgary Flames over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Sunday night.
Mikael Backlund sent a pass back to the blue line where Giordano took a couple strides and fired a shot into the top corner on Jeff Glass. It helped Calgary salvage a win after Chicago’s Brandon Saad tied it with 1:46 left in the third period.
Matthew Tkachuk had two goals and Sean Monahan also scored for Calgary, which had lost five of seven home games. Mike Smith turned away 34 shots.
Jordan Oesterle and Jonathan Toews also scored for Chicago. The Blackhawks extend their points streak against Calgary to 16 games (10-0-6), a streak that dates to Feb. 2, 2013. Glass finished with 35 saves.
Toews and Saad also had an assist and each snapped six-game pointless streaks.
Saad tied it with the goalie pulled. Toews won a faceoff back to Saad, whose quick shot deflected off the skate of Travis Hamonic and through Smith’s pads.
Leading 1-0 after the first period thanks to a buzzer beater by Tkachuk, Calgary increased its lead to two when Tkachuk scored his second power-play goal of the night at 4:42, steering in Johnny Gaudreau’s centering pass.
The Flames took a 3-0 lead 1:05 seconds later with Gaudreau again orchestrating the setup, this time to Monahan in front, who snapped his nine-game goalless drought.
Chicago answered right back with two quick goals.
Shortly after the Blackhawks’ power play expired, Oesterle’s point shot eluded Smith, who was completely screened by Ryan Hartman and did not move on it until it was coming back out of the net.
Oesterle has goals in two straight games. He went the first 36 games his career without a goal until scoring in the 4-3 win over Edmonton on Friday.
Fifty-six seconds later, Oesterle was in the middle of things again, his point shot was kicked out by Smith but Toews buried the rebound.
With Corey Crawford (upper body) sidelined, Glass, a Calgary native, made his second-straight and second career start for Chicago and was solid again.