Anaheim is attempting to end the franchise’s seven-year playoff drought under first-year coach Joel Quenneville, but this skid has endangered the Ducks’ entire playoff candidacy even after they spent the past four weeks leading the mediocre Pacific Division.
The Ducks remained even with first-place Edmonton with 87 points because of the Oilers’ loss to Vegas, which is now just one point behind the division leaders with five games to play.
Strome sneaked behind Anaheim’s leaky defence and scored on a breakaway early in the second period, getting his fifth goal in 15 games since the Ducks traded him to Calgary last month. The veteran forward spent the previous 3 1/2 seasons with the Ducks, but struggled to produce during inconsistent playing time from Quenneville before his departure at the deadline.
Sennecke opened the scoring when he drove the net and muscled home his 23rd goal, most among NHL rookies this season, but Calgary replied with four consecutive goals that prompted the Honda Center crowd to boo its team into the second intermission.
Carlsson got his 27th goal in the third, and McTavish fired home his second goal since January during a power play midway through the period. But Calgary repelled another Ducks power play and wrapped it up with Frost’s empty-netter.
Injuries left Anaheim playing without top scorer Cutter Gauthier and defencemen Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov.
Defenceman Tyson Hinds made his NHL debut for the Ducks, whose defensive struggles are the primary source of their late-season woes.
UP NEXT
Flames: Visit the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
Ducks: Host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/nhl
Greg Beacham, The Associated Press