Flames score late to win 4-2 over the Canucks

Sam Bennett scored the winner with 1:10 left in regulation and Matthew Tkachuk had a pair of goals as the Calgary Flames came from behind for a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.

Bennett took the puck hard to the front of the net from the side boards and sent a backhand past Anders Nilsson, electrifying the Scotiabank Saddledome crowd with his gritty individual effort.

Tkachuk added his second of the night into an empty net as Calgary capped a comeback from a 2-1 deficit to begin the third period.

Troy Brouwer also scored for Calgary (16-12-2). The Flames’ second third-period comeback in as many games moves them two points ahead of the Canucks in the Pacific Division.

Jake Virtanen and Brock Boeser scored for Vancouver (14-12-4).

Calgary pulled even at 11:34 of the third when Garnet Hathaway’s alert pass found Tkachuk in the slot and the 19-year-old sent a backhander into the top corner.

Vancouver broke a 1-1 tie on a power play with 55 seconds remaining in the second period.

Cutting in off the wing, former Flame Markus Granlund put a slick centring pass right on the tape of Boeser, who neatly steered in his 15th goal.

The impressive 20-year-old, who was the NHL’s rookie of the month for November, has 10 goals in his last 12 games.

It came on the first shot Vancouver had generated in four power-play chances.

Up until this point, Calgary had done an excellent job stifling the Canucks’ ninth-ranked power play.

Down 1-0, the Flames tied it at 18:28 of the first when Curtis Lazar set up Brouwer for a one-timer on a 2-on-1.

Vancouver opened the scoring at 2:02. Michael Del Zotto’s point shot was going wide when it hit the skate of Virtanen and stopped there. The former Calgary Hitmen junior star fired in his fourth goal.

Smith made 22 stops to improve to 13-9-2 in his 500th game. At the other end, Nilsson had 31 stops to fall to 6-3-1.

Sven Baertschi took a puck in the face early in the second and did not return.