The Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk, top, scores against Ducks goaltender John Gibson during a shootout on Friday night at Honda Center. The Flames won, 4-3. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Ducks’ Hampus Lindholm skates with the puck against the Calgary Flames during the first period on Friday night at Honda Center. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Simon Benoit, left, collides with Calgary Flames’ Brad Richardson during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Calgary Flames’ Andrew Mangiapane, left, chases the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Ducks on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Ducks’ Trevor Zegras, left, takes the puck as Calgary Flames’ Trevor Lewis, center, is shoved by Ducks’ Josh Manson during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Calgary Flames’ Blake Coleman (20) moves the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Ducks, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Calgary Flames’ Blake Coleman, right, shoots under defense from the Ducks’ Hampus Lindholm during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Ducks’ Troy Terry watches action during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Ducks’ Sonny Milano, left, and Calgary Flames’ Dillon Dube chase the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Ducks goaltender John Gibson, right, makes a save against the Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Calgary Flames’ Andrew Mangiapane skates during the first period against the Ducks Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Dan Vladar of the Calgary Flames in goal against the Ducks in the first period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Troy Terry watches action during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Calgary Flames’ Trevor Lewis, left, moves the puck past the Ducks’ Hampus Lindholm during the first period of an NHL hockey game Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sam Steel of the Ducks skates the puck against Brad Richardson of the Calgary Flames in the first period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Troy Terry watches action during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Sonny Milano of the Ducks takes a shot against Dan Vladar of the Calgary Flames in the first period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
John Gibson of the Ducks in goal against the Calgary Flames in the first period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar guards his net during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Ducks on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Ducks’ Sonny Milano and the Calgary Flames’ Blake Coleman battle for the puck as the Flames’ Rasmus Andersson (4) watches during the second period on Friday at Honda Center. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
John Gibson of the Ducks makes a save against Sean Monahan of the Calgary Flames in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Sean Monahan of the Calgary Flames celebrates a goal against the Ducks in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Calgary Flames’ Sean Monahan, center, celebrates his goal during the second period of a game against the Ducks on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Ducks’ Simon Benoit, left, moves the puck under pressure from the Calgary Flames’ Milan Lucic during the second period on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Ducks’ Troy Terry skates during the first period against the Calgary Flames on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Blake Coleman of the Calgary Flames scores a goal against John Gibson of the Ducks in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Blake Coleman and Trevor Lewis (22) of the Calgary Flames celebrate a goal against the Ducks in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Rickard Rakell (67) of the Ducks celebrates a goal against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Rickard Rakell of the Ducks celebrates a goal against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames skates the puck against Isac Lundestrom of the Ducks in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Troy Terry moves the puck during the second period of a game against the Calgary Flames on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Blake Coleman of the Calgary Flames skates the puck against the Ducks in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Sonny Milano (12) of the Ducks celebrates a goal against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Sonny Milano (12) of the Ducks celebrates a goal against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
John Gibson of the Ducks in goal against the Calgary Flames in the second period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks’ Jakob Silfverberg skates during the second period of a game against the Calgary Flames on Friday, Dec. 3, 2021, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Rickard Rakell of the Ducks skates the puck against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Ducks celebrate a goal against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Dan Vladar of the Calgary Flames makes a save against the Ducks in the third period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Jakob Silfverberg of the Ducks skates the puck against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Calgary Flames and the Ducks fight in front of the benches in the third period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Calgary Flames and the Ducks fight in front of the benches in the third period at Honda Center on December 03, 2021 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM — The difference between an elite NHL team and a team trying to reach that level was on display for all to see on Friday night at Honda Center, and it was minuscule. The Calgary Flames arrived as one of the league’s hottest teams and the Ducks skated right with and sometimes just ahead of them.
The Ducks had a lead, but then lost it.
The Flames had a lead, but then lost it.
In the end, they needed a shootout to settle matters.
Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk scored in the shootout and the Flames took a 4-3 victory from the Ducks after the hockey game ended in a tie. Trevor Zegras and Kevin Shattenkirk were denied in the shootout and the Ducks’ two-game winning streak came to an end.
The Pacific Division-leading Flames (15-4-5) won their third in a row and improve to 6-0-2 in their last eight on the road.
The third-place Ducks are 13-8-4, including 6-1-2 against division opponents.
“Offensively, we feel like we can play with any team,” Ducks right wing Rickard Rakell said. “We have shown that so far, but our overall game, we have some room to make some improvements and get even better. We’re still having a good feeling in our locker room. We feel we can get better as we move along.
“That’s encouraging.”
Rakell’s goal with 36 seconds left in what had been a rocky second period ignited the Ducks’ rally, cutting their deficit to 3-2. Vinni Lettieri’s power-play goal 2:04 into the third, a laser of a one-timed shot off a cross-ice pass from Trevor Zegras, pulled the Ducks even at 3-3 with plenty of time remaining.
The Ducks needed only 54 seconds to take a 1-0 lead in the second period, with Sonny Milano sending a loose puck into the back of Dan Vladar’s net. Josh Manson’s perimeter shot pinballed around in front of Vladar before Milano smacked it behind him for his sixth goal in his 20th game this season.
Zegras also assisted. He had three assists in Wednesday’s win over Vegas.
Calgary then seized control of the game with goals from Blake Coleman, Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan, taking a 3-1 lead while looking as if not the better team then certainly the more opportunistic team. The Ducks’ defensive lapses proved costly and the Flames took full advantage.
“We played very well in the first period and very well in the third period,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “In the second period, we got away from our game. That’s a reminder that if we want to be an elite team we have to play a certain way. If we’re not going to do it, we’re going to very quickly get into trouble.”
The first period was scoreless, but that didn’t mean the opening 20 minutes lacked action. The Ducks hit the iron three times and the Flame struck it twice as the teams traded chances only to come up empty. The period ended with Calgary’s Erik Gudbranson knocking down Adam Henrique.
Henrique was forced from the game in the second period with an unspecified lower-body injury. His status for the Ducks’ upcoming five-game trip wasn’t immediately certain. The trip begins Monday in Washington and continues with stops in Buffalo, Columbus, Pittsburgh and St. Louis.
The Ducks were already without Ryan Getzlaf, who sat out for the second consecutive game because of a lower-body injury. Getzlaf is expected to make the trip, but the Ducks termed his status week-to-week after he was hurt in the first period of Tuesday’s shootout win over the Kings.
“It just seems like every night is a great test,” Eakins said. “I don’t care who you’re playing. We’ve had teams come in here that are way below us in the standings and I think that’s a different kind of a test. A team like this comes in, it’s a test. It’s nonstop. We just played three games in four nights.
