Smith, Flames shut out Wild

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Mike Smith made 31 saves, Elias Lindholm scored twice and the Calgary Flames beat the Minnesota Wild 2-0 on Thursday night.

Smith got his second shutout of the season and has won his past five games, including a victory in relief of David Rittich on Tuesday when Calgary rallied from 4-1 down to beat Columbus 9-6.

Lindholm got his 14th and 15th goals of the season and has 32 points in 29 games. His career high is 17 goals, reached with Carolina in 2014-15.

Johnny Gaudreau and captain Mark Giordano assisted on both goals.

Alex Stalock stopped 18 shots for the Wild.

Minnesota dropped to 1-2 on its trip to five Canadian cities, a first for the franchise.

Smith held off Minnesota on a pair of power-play chances in the second period and another to end the game.

Lindholm made it 2-0 at 1:13 of the third period when Gaudreau took a stretch pass from Giordano and dished the puck to him alone at the faceoff circle.

Minnesota won a first-period challenge of Lindholm's goal that was ruled offside, but Lindholm scored 50 seconds into the second frame on a 2-on-1 with Gaudreau.

The Flames improved to 13-2 this season when they score the first goal and are 3-0 in December.

NOTES: With two assists, Giordano reached 407 career points and moved past Lanny McDonald into 11th on Calgary's career list. ... Flames forward Michael Frolik (lower body) and defenseman Michael Stone (blood clot) and Juusu Valimaki (lower body) were scratched from the Flames lineup.

UP NEXT

Minnesota: At Edmonton on Friday.

Calgary: Hosts Nashville on Saturday.

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