CALGARY — Playing an unfamiliar position, Brandon Sutter complemented Vancouver Canucks linemates Henrik and Daniel Sedin nicely in a 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
Sutter has spent his entire seven-year NHL career at centre, but was shifted to the wing in Vancouver’s final pre-season game.
The 26-year-old, acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins in July, scored a pretty goal and added an assist in the regular-season opener for both clubs at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Daniel Sedin had a goal and two assists with captain Henrik also collecting a goal for the visitors.
"Hank and Daniel are pretty smart guys, so we can read off each other and to be honest, it’s been a little easier than I expected in terms of the positioning of it," Sutter said.
"They’re so intelligent out there, easy to read, they’re always in the right spot, so that makes it easier for me and for anyone that plays with them and tonight they were great."
Jannik Hansen and Alex Burrows also scored for the Canucks in a rematch of a Western Conference quarter-final playoff last April between Calgary and Vancouver.
The Flames won that series in six games to advance to the second round, where they lost out in five to the Anaheim Ducks.
Vancouver defenceman Ben Hutton recorded his first point in his NHL debut with an assist on Hansen’s goal. Canucks goaltender Ryan Miller made 29 saves for the win.
"That’s a pretty good road game to start the year against a good team in a tough building," Sutter said.
Jiri Hudler replied for the Flames with Karri Ramo stopping 39 of 44 shots in the loss.
The two clubs square off again Saturday in Vancouver for the second of their five meetings this season in the Pacific Division.
Calgary was outshot 44-30. The game turned on Daniel Sedin’s goal late in the second period and an own-goal by Calgary in the third.
A Dan Hamhuis shot deflected off Ramo, then Sedin’s leg and into Calgary’s net to make it 3-1 with five seconds left in the second period.
Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman knocked down a long, off-speed shot by Burrows, but tipped it past Ramo at 8:17 of the third to make it 4-1 for the visitors.
"That was probably as bad as we can get out there," Flames captain Mark Giordano said. "We turned over a lot of pucks."
Henrik Sedin scored Vancouver’s final goal of the night on a sharp-angled wrist shot at 16:31 of the third period.
The Flames trailing 2-0, Hudler halved the deficit at 3:39 of the second.
Sutter batted a rebound out of the air past Ramo with a deft touch at 18:01 of the first period to make it 2-0 for his new team.
"Never really scored one like that before, but I’ll take it," Sutter said. "I’d say 99 times out of 100 you miss it, but I was fortunate enough to get a stick on it."
The Canucks dealt forward Nick Bonino, defenceman Adam Clendening and a draft pick to Pittsburgh in July to obtain Sutter, who is the son of former Calgary Flames head coach Brent Sutter.
Hansen took Hutton’s cross-ice, stretch pass along the boards and beat Ramo top corner glove side with a blast from the top of the circle at 10:34.
Calgary’s Micheal Ferland and Vancouver’s Derek Dorsett dropped the gloves two seconds after the opening faceoff. Flames winger Brandon Bollig and Canucks forward Brandon Prust then traded punches eight minutes into the game.
Notes: The Flames fell to 0-5-1 in their last six season-openers and have lost their last two to the Canucks … Calgary’s scratches were forward Mason Raymond and goalie Joni Ortio; Vancouver’s were forward Jake Virtanen, defenceman Yannick Weber and goalie Jakob Markstrom.
