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Live updates: Ducks vs. Flames, Game 4

Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano checks Flames defenseman TJ Brodie during the first period of Game 4 on Friday night in Calgary.

Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano checks Flames defenseman TJ Brodie during the first period of Game 4 on Friday night in Calgary.

(Jeff McIntosh / Associated Press)
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It’s over. Ducks forward Patrick Maroon scored an empty-netter with 36.7 seconds left to make it 4-2.

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The Ducks are four minutes from taking a commanding series lead over the Flames.

Anaheim holds a 3-2 lead in Game 4 tonight in Calgary. If the Ducks hold on for the win, they could close out the best-of-seven series on Sunday evening in Anaheim.

The Ducks hold a slight statistical edge in shots (28-27), hits (23-22) and faceoffs (33-30).

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The game turned on a four-minute minor penalty assessed to the Flames’ Joe Colborne at the end of the second period. He received a double minor for high-sticking Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin.

His penalty carried over to the third period and the Ducks quickly took advantage. Left wing Matt Beleskey scored his fourth goal in four games, beating Flames goalie Karri Ramo from the slot with a rebound at 1:11 to make it 3-2.

It was the first time the Ducks had the lead in the game since the 2:50 mark of the first period. Assisting on the goal were Jakob Silfverberg and Beauchemin.

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Ducks 2, Flames 2 (end of second period)

The Anaheim Ducks will look for another strong third-period performance to try to take control of the second-round playoff series against the Flames.

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Andrew Cogliano tied the score at 16:42 of the second period.

Calgary has outshot the Ducks, 19-18. The Ducks have outhit the Flames, 20-19, and won more faceoffs, 28-24.

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Left wing Andrew Cogliano pulled the Ducks even at 2-2 with his effort, taking advantage of a Johnny Gaudreau turnover and beating Flames goalie Karri Ramo with a crisp shot at 16:42. It was Cogliano’s second goal and fifth points of the playoffs.

Calgary seemingly had the momentum before the Gaudreau mistake, having killed off a bench minor penalty for too many men on the ice at 14:26.

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Action is growing increasingly heated in the Saddledome in the second period.

Calgary is still leading 2-1 but both teams have had Grade A-scoring chances. Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen had perhaps the save of the game, a sliding stop, on Johnny Gaudreau’s rebound chance at 5:34 of the second.

Andersen’s counterpart, the Flames’ Karri Ramo, was equally up to the task a little more than midway through the period, stopping Ducks forward Patrick Maroon in front at 11:06.

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Flames 2, Ducks 1 (end of first period)

They looked refreshed and revitalized in the first period.

Yes, that happened to be the Flames. The team that did not go to Banff for a brief mountain retreat between the games.

Calgary gave up a goal early but stormed back with a strong effort and leads 2-1 after one period. They traded goals in a 39-second span, with the Ducks scoring on the power play and Calgary responding with Sean Monahan’s first goal, and first point, of this second-round playoff series.

Flames linemate Johnny Gaudreau did the heavy lifting on the play, off the rush, turning Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm inside out to set up Monahan.

Micheal Ferland’s unassisted goal, a blast from the left circle made it 2-1 Calgary, at 5:44.

The Flames outshot the Ducks, 11-9, in the opening period.

Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau was a busy man, mixing up his lines. He split up center Ryan Kesler and Silfverberg for a handful of shifts but they were reunited near the end of the period.

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With his assist on Silfverberg’s goal, Ducks defenseman Francois Beauchemin equaled Scott Niedermayer for the all-time franchise lead among defensemen and fourth overall in postseason scoring. It was Beauchemin’s 34th point in the playoffs.

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The frantic pace of the opening minutes slowed a bit but the Flames’ forecheck was giving the Ducks plenty of problems.

Evidence?

It is still 2-1 Flames but the Ducks did not have a shot on goal after Silfverberg’s score at 3:58 of the first period until the 10:49 mark. The shots on goal: Flames 9, Ducks 3.

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If you like goals, well, there were plenty of them early in Game 4 of this second-round playoff series.

The Ducks and Flames combined for three goals in the first 5:44 with Calgary taking a 2-1 lead.

Anaheim scored first and its lead lasted all of 39 seconds. Jakob Silfverberg scored on the power play, beating Flames goalie Karri Ramo high on the glove side at 3:58. The Ducks had gone on the power play when Lance Bouma went off for high-sticking Corey Perry at 2:50.

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Calgary responded at 4:37 with Sean Monahan’s goal, set up by linemate Johnny Gaudreau’s skill and speed, while Micheal Ferland put the Flames ahead, 2-1, with an unassisted goal at 5:44.

Pregame

As expected, the Flames did get forward Lance Bouma back in the lineup and the other surprise addition was Micheal Ferland, who has been injured. This means Josh Jooris and Markus Granlund are out.

The Ducks scratches were not a surprise, based on the morning skate. Youngster Emerson Etem will be missing his first game of these playoffs. He had two goals in seven playoff games.

Anaheim starters: Goalie Frederik Andersen, defensemen Cam Fowler and Simon Despres, forwards Matt Beleskey, Ryan Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg.

Calgary starters: Goalie Karri Ramo, defensemen TJ Brodie and Deryk Engelland, forwards Ferland, Matt Stajan and David Jones.

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So, will the Anaheim Ducks’ brief mountain sojourn to Banff after Game 3 help them sufficiently reset?

Well, we won’t truly know for a couple more hours. Maybe longer if there is overtime in Game 4, like there was in Game 3. The scheduled start time for Game 4 is 7:30 p.m. here, 6:30 back in Los Angeles.

The Ducks are leading the best-of-seven series, two games to one.

“I think it was good to get away,” Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau after Friday’s morning skate. “If you’re in Calgary, it’s so hockey-mad at this point. Everybody, where you turn, there would have been something written, something on TV and everything.

“I think the guys came away refreshed, as maybe silly as that sounds in a day and a half. It was good. I’m glad we went. I didn’t know whether it would be a good thing or a bad thing. But we took the chance and I thought it was good work for the guys to get there and to get out without the scrutiny of being around Calgary.”

There are definite lineup changes for the Ducks and a probable tweak for the Flames.

Tomas Fleischmann will return to the lineup for Anaheim, appearing for the first time since Game 4 of the first-round series against Winnipeg. He moves to the third line in place of youngster Emerson Etem.

It appears as though forward Lance Bouma, who was hurt near the end of the regular season when he blocked a shot, will be back for the Flames for the first time in the playoffs. While the Ducks revealed their lineup move, the Flames, in time-honored playoff tradition, did not.

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But Bouma has been taking line rushes with center Matt Stajan and winger David Jones the last two days. In the regular season, he has been especially valuable for the Flames at even strength, scoring 16 goals in five-on-five situations.

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