Rangers Beat Flames 3-1 as Korpisalo Makes 30 Saves

The New York Rangers beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, riding two second-period goals from Mika Zibanejad and a 30-save night from goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. The save people will remember came in the first period, when Korpisalo dropped his stick, dove across his crease and stopped a Zayne Parekh wraparound with his glove hand.

The save that set the tone

Calgary's best early chance belonged to Parekh, the young defenseman who carried the puck around the back of the New York net and tried to wrap it inside the far post. Korpisalo tracked the play, lost his stick in the scramble, and launched himself across the goal mouth to knock the puck away. NHL.com called it a candidate for save of the season, and the stop kept the game scoreless while Calgary pushed.

Calgary had the better of the chances for long stretches. By late in the second period the Flames had fired 23 shots at Korpisalo and he had stopped every one, including six high-danger chances, while Calgary led the high-danger count nine to four.

Zibanejad does the scoring

Zibanejad scored both New York goals in the second period, the second of them on the power play, and the Rangers took a 2-0 lead into the third. Devin Cooley kept Calgary in the game at the other end, stopping 16 of the first 18 shots he faced.

Each team scored once in the third period for the 3-1 final. Korpisalo finished with 30 saves on 31 shots, a .968 save percentage, in his second start of the road trip. He had missed a month with a foot infection and won his return game in Seattle on Saturday.

Why it matters

New York improved to 11-8 and Calgary fell to 8-10, and the game closed the Rangers' last regular-season visit to the Saddledome, with Calgary's new arena rising next door for next season. The Rangers end their road trip on Friday in Vancouver.

For Calgary, the loss followed a familiar pattern in this building: more shots and more high-danger chances than the visitors, and one goal to show for it. Korpisalo was the reason on this night, and his stickless save in the first period was the moment the game turned toward the goaltender.

Key numbers

Final score: Rangers 3, Flames 1. Shots: Calgary 31, New York's total decided by two Zibanejad goals in the second period and one goal per team in the third. Korpisalo: 30 saves on 31 shots, .968. Records after the game: New York 11-8, Calgary 8-10.