JOHNNY HERO!

Gaud grief, what a night for No. 13, his teammates and the C of Red.

Johnny Hockey set up the tying goal in the second period and then notched the game-winner at 15:09 of sudden-death overtime in Game 7 at the Scotiabank Saddledome Sunday night, setting up a dream second-round Battle of Alberta with their archrivals up the QEII.

It was Calgary’s first series victory since 2015.

Video: DAL@CGY, Gm7: Gaudreau scores the Game 7 winner in OT

As has been the case all series, young Stars netminder Jake Oettinger continued his Dominik Hasek-like play, the kryptonite to a potent Flames attack that piled up goals during the regular seaso but struggled to beat the acrobatic ‘tender.

Head coach Darryl Sutter referred to Oettinger in his postgame press conference as “the best player in the series, no doubt.”

Speaking of the bench boss, he improved to an NHL best 8-3 in playoff Game 7 tilts.

Coming into Sunday’s tilt, both teams had scored 12 goals and after 60 minutes, they both had 14.

That, despite the fact the Flames absolutely shelled Oettinger with 51 shots in regulation while the Stars had just 23. The Flames finished the night with 67 total. Calgary set a playoff record with 26 in the middle stanza, eclipsing the mark of 22 they notched against the LA Kings back in 1988.

Dallas also continued to get in lanes and deny attempts – as they have all series – blocking an incredible 32 shots.

Tyler Toffoli scored his first of the postseason, and Matthew Tkachuk also tallied for the Flames, while Jacob Markstrom made 26 saves.

Chris Tanev didn’t play, so Gaudreau donned an alternate captain ‘A’ on his jersey and was dominant from the first puck drop, finishing the night with 22:44 of ice time and seven shots.

Mikael Backlund laid a monster hit on Michael Raffl 22 seconds into the frame to set the physical tone for the homeside, sending the Stars forward crashing to the ice in the right corner of the Flames zone.

Off the ensuing faceoff, Stars captain Jamie Benn took a feed all alone in the slot and scored his first of the series at the 40-second mark with the visitors’ first shot of the game.

Michael Stone – who played on a pairing with Oliver Kylington in Tanev’s absence – was physical early, laying two big hits – the first one when he levelled Radek Faksa, the second on Vladislav Namestikov.

Along with hits, the team was generating chances and shots – leading 12-2 in the later mark at the halfway point. 

Andrew Mangiapane was denied point blank on a one-timer feed from Backlund on a powerplay just past the midway point of the frame by Oettinger, then Tkachuk hitting the post on the same advantage from a tight angle. 

Earlier in the frame, Mangiapane had fed a streaking Backlund but he had his stick lifted in prime territory before he could shoot.

Markstrom’s biggest save in the frame came with just under six left in the first when he robbed Joe Pavelski in tight, flashing the leather for a 10-beller. 

Dillon Dube beat Esa Lindell wide on a rush and drove the net for a shot but Oettinger made the stop, one of his 17 saves in the first period.

Calgary had another nine shots blocked.

Toffoli finally solved Oettinger just 1:46 into the second frame on Calgary’s 20th shot, parking himself out front and tipping home a point blast from Oliver Kylington.

Video: DAL@CGY, Gm7: Toffoli tips Kylington’s wrist shot

But just 31 seconds later, Namestnikov answered back with a one-timer to restore the Dallas lead. 

Oettinger then robbed Blake Coleman point-blank in the slot after a tipped a feed from Mangiapane. 

Tkachuk tied it up one second after a Flames powerplay expired at 8:44, taking a feed from Gaudreau in a similar spot to the post he hit, beating Oettinger shortside over his shoulder this time.  

Video: DAL@CGY, Gm7: Tkachuk wires Gaudreau’s feed by glove

They continued to come in waves in the third, Coleman threading a long cross-ice pass to Gaudreau but his doorstep chance denied by Oettinger.

Markstrom was called upon later when he stoned Jacob Peterson’s breakway chance.

Mangiapane had a great chance to ice it with just over three minutes left in the third off a turnover inside the Stars zone but whistled it wide.

In OT before Gaudreau scored, he had an incredible look to finish it with a wrist shot from the slot that Oettinger gloved. The Stars netminder then somehow stopped a slapshot from Toffoli, along with a handful of chances during a wild flurry of Flames activity with just under six minutes to go it 

BY THE NUMBERS:

Shots: CGY 67, DAL 28

Powerplay: CGY 0-3, DAL 0-1

Hits: CGY 35, DAL 22

Face-offs: CGY 55%, DAL 

*Scoring chances: CGY 51, DAL 22

*High-danger scoring chances: CGY 19, DAL 8

*According of Natural Stat Trick (5-on-5)

POSTGAME INTERVIEWS:

Video: “It was awesome … you dream about stuff like that”

Video: “We’re not done yet, this is just a step on the road”

THE HUG: THREE STARS: THE LINEUP:

Lines and D pairs to start the game: 

FORWARDS:

Johnny Gaudreau – Elias Lindholm – Matthew Tkachuk

Andrew Mangiapane – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman 

Dillon Dube – Calle Jarnkrok – Tyler Toffoli

Milan Lucic – Trevor Lewis – Brett Ritchie

DEFENCE:

Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson Oliver Kylington – Michael Stone

Nikita Zadorov – Erik Gudbranson  GOALTENDER:

Jacob Markstrom – Starter

Dan Vladar

THE SERIES:

Game 1 – W 1-0

Game 2 – L 2-0

Game 3 – L 4-2

Game 4 – W 4-1

Game 5 – W 3-1

Game 6 – L 4-2

*Game 7 – W 3-2 OT