The Flames Torched Vancouver 6-1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Mark Giordano scored twice, Sam Bennett had a goal and three assists, and the Calgary Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-1 Sunday.

Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists, and Matthew Tkachuk and Micheal Ferland also scored to help Calgary snap a three-game skid. Dougie Hamilton had two assists and backup goalie David Rittich made 16 saves to pick up his third win in four appearances.

Markus Granlund scored for Vancouver. Jacob Markstrom allowed five goals on 19 shots in a forgettable outing before getting replaced by Anders Nilsson to start the third period. Nilsson made 18 saves in relief as the Canucks lost in regulation for the fifth time in six games.

The Flames opened the scoring at 5:45 of the first period when Bennett shook Jake Virtanen's check in the corner before feeding a pass in front to Jankowski, who beat Markstrom low to the far post for his sixth of the season.

Thomas Vanek had an opportunity with seven minutes left in the opening period for Vancouver, but he couldn't control a bouncing puck at the side of the net on a play that resulted in Rittich — making just his fifth NHL appearance — getting penalized for throwing his stick.

Coming off a spirited 4-3 overtime victory over San Jose on Friday night, the injury-riddle Canucks were never in this one.

Things got worse early in the second period when Brock Boeser, who leads the Canucks in goals (17) and points (30), took a shot from Giordano off his left foot and did not return. The rookie scoring leader crawled in agony to the bench, and didn't put any weight on his left leg as he exited to the locker-room at a hushed Rogers Arena.

Giordano scored his first of the night, and fifth of the year, at 3:56 of the second with the teams playing 4-on-4 when he skated around Ben Hutton and beat Markstrom.

The Flames, who improved to 9-4-3 on the road, then put the game out of reach during a four-minute span.

Tkachuk made it 3-0 with his seventh with 4:13 remaining in the second, Giordano got his second of the night exactly three minutes later, and Bennett got his fifth another minute later to make it 5-0.

Granlund broke Rittich's bid for his first career shutout at 6:48 of the third when he got his own rebound off the crossbar and scored his seventh, and third in two games, on a power play.

Ferland made it 6-1 on a Flames power play at 11:09 to snap an 0-for-23 drought.

NOTES: Calgary won the season series 3-1-0. ... Tkachuk had three goals and two assists in the Flames' four games against Vancouver in 2017-18, and nine points (three goals, six assists) in an eight-game point streak against the Canucks. ... Vancouver was already without two of its top forwards in Bo Horvat (fractured foot) and Sven Baertschi (broken jaw), defensemen Christopher Tanev (groin strain) and Erik Gudbranson (upper body), and center Brandon Sutter (upper body).

UP NEXT

Flames: Host St. Louis on Wednesday night.

Canucks: Host Montreal on Tuesday night to close a four-game homestand.