EDMONTON — Calgary scored a trio of power-play goals on Tuesday en route to a 6-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets and a 2-1 lead in their qualifying series.

Sean Monahan led Calgary’s attack with a goal and two assists. Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund each scored and had an assist.

Matthew Tkachuk and Milan Lucic also scored, and Johnny Gaudreau produced an empty-netter to go along with a helper. Andrew Mangiapane had a pair of assists.

Calgary starter Cam Talbot made 33 saves for the win. Winnipeg counterpart Connor Hellebuyck stopped 26 in the loss. 

Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrew Copp scored for the Jets.

Game 4 is Thursday night at Rogers Place. Calgary won the series opener 4-1 and Winnipeg took the second game 3-2.

The lower seed and thus the visiting team for the first two games of the series, Winnipeg was the home team Tuesday.

Playing their second game in as many days, and third in four, neither team asserted itself early. Calgary took control with a three-goal second period.

After scoring a pair of power-play goals in Game 1, the Flames had blanked on six chances Monday.

Calgary’s units recovered in the third game scoring three times on four opportunities.

The Jets were minus top-line centre Mark Scheifele, winger Patrik Laine and centre Mason Appleton a second straight day.

Scheifele hasn’t played since the first period of Saturday’s opener. He injured his left leg tangling along the boards with Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk.

Laine suffered an apparent wrist injury colliding with Flames captain Mark Giordano in the third period of Game 1.

Attrition continued for the Jets on Tuesday. Forward Mathieu Perreault went to the dressing room in the second period and did not return. He was checked hard by Sam Bennett near Calgary’s bench.

Defenceman Tucker Poolman missed the majority of the second period. He leaked blood onto the ice after taking a Backlund shot off his head.

Poolman was back on the bench to start the third, however, wearing a cage until switching to a full shield.

With the Jets trailing 5-2, Hellebuyck was pulled with four and a half minutes to play in a bid for extra-attacker goals.

Lucic buried a rebound off a Dillon Dube shot for Calgary’s fifth goal and third with a man advantage at 8:28 of the third.

Mangiapane fed Tkachuk in the slot from behind the net at 12:48 of the second period.

Winnipeg had pulled within a goal at 8:09. Copp stepped out from behind the net and went backhand top corner for a power-play goal.

Monahan lost his helmet when he was pushed hard into the boards by Jansen Harkins. On Harkins’ resulting minor, Monahan chipped a wobbling puck over Hellebuyck’s stick on a broken play at 7:49.

Winnipeg successfully challenged a Lucic goal for goaltender interference seven minutes into the second period. Calgary led 2-1 on Backlund’s goal at 5:17.

Just 18 seconds after Ehlers’ goal at 10:04 of the first period, Lindholm pulled Calgary even with a power-play goal.

Lindholm redirected Erik Gustaffson’s pass over Hellebuyck’s glove for the Swede’s second goal of the series.

From behind Winnipeg’s goal-line, Dmitry Kulikov put a pass off the wall to Ehlers lurking at Calgary’s blue-line. Ehlers beat Talbot far side with a wrist shot.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on August 4, 2020.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press

EDMONTON — Alberta’s chief medical officer of health says the dip in COVID-19 cases over the long weekend appears to show that people are following public health guidelines about physical distancing and wearing masks.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw says Alberta’s case numbers have been below 100 for four days straight.

She says the downward trend began Friday with 97 new cases, followed by 67 new cases reported Saturday, 74 on Sunday and 65 on Monday.

Bylaws requiring masks be worn in public places went into effect in both Edmonton and Calgary on Saturday.

Hinshaw also reported five new deaths, bringing Alberta’s total to 201 since the pandemic began.

She says three of the five deaths were at the Good Samaritan Southgate Care Centre in Edmonton, which has become the deadliest outbreak in the province.

The facility is reporting 24 deaths on its website on Tuesday. There have been 112 cases at the centre — 80 residents and 32 staff — since the outbreak began July 17.

Currently, there are 42 active cases among residents and 20 among staff members.

“This outbreak underlines the importance of our collective efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the most vulnerable members of our community,” Hinshaw said.

“Part of this protection requires continually evaluating our response efforts and using the best available evidence to update our approach when warranted.”

The most recent update reported 1,191 active cases in the province, down from the 1,386 cases reported before the long weekend.

Hinshaw said there were 85 people being treated in Alberta hospitals, 23 of them in intensive care.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020

The Canadian Press