CALGARY, Alberta -- Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund certainly made the most being an extra attacker.

On a delayed penalty in overtime, Backlund jumped on with goalie Karri Ramo pulled and launched a shot from the point that eluded everyone, including Anaheim Ducks goalie Frederick Anderson, giving the Flames a 4-3 win in Game 3 of their Western Conference playoff series on Tuesday night.

The Ducks still lead the series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Friday at the Scotiabank Saddledome, but now the Flames have some life.

"I was just trying to find open ice," Backlund said. "I just tried to punch it in there. We didn't want to rush anything. We were hoping for something to open up. I can't say anything did open up. I just figured we had to shoot and make something happen.

"It's hard to describe. I didn't know what to do. I thought for a second about doing the Theo Fleury. I didn't think I could pull it off. He's a legend, and I'm not."

Backlund is of course referring to Fleury's celebration where he slid across the ice on his knees after scoring the game-winner against the Edmonton Oilers in the 1991 playoffs.

The Flames almost didn't get the chance to play the extra session. It took rookie left winger Johnny Gaudreau's top-corner blast on a five-on-three power play with 19.5 seconds remaining in regulation to ignite the crowd and quell a near revolt.

With 6:17 left in the third, the Flames believed they got the equalizer. Rookie center Sam Bennett fired a shot from the top of the crease that bounced off Ducks goalie Frederick Andersen's toe-pad and back out. After an extensive video review, it was determined not to be a goal, and the sellout crowd went crazy.

"Everybody got pretty mad," Backlund said. "It drove us to score. We were all rattled about the call. We told each other to keep going and keep getting pucks to the net."

Left winger Brandon Bollig scored his second of the postseason, while center Joe Colborne scored his first in regulation for the Flames.

Wingers Patrick Maroon, Matt Belesky and Corey Perry scored in regulation for the Ducks, while center Ryan Getzlaf and defenseman Simon Despres each had a pair of assists, as Anaheim answered the Flames continually until overtime.

In the final minutes of regulation, with Flames center Matt Stajan and Despres off on coincidental minors, Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen took a penalty for firing the puck over the glass. The Flames then capitalized in the dying seconds as Gaudreau walked in on the right wing and ripped a top-corner blast past Anderson, who made 17 saves in the game, to tie the game at 3.

"It was a great hockey game," Getzlaf said. "That's a big goal for them, obviously. Going down five-on-three is not what you want at the end of a game. The guys did a good job for the most part to respond and I thought we came out in the overtime, started the right way.

"We're playing a good team, there's no doubt about it. They haven't quit all year and we didn't expect that. I didn't think we played our best game tonight. We made some errors that are uncharacteristic, but it's bound to happen. You're in the playoffs and it's going to happen throughout the run."

Although they ran into penalty trouble late, blowing a lead, there is no panic with the Ducks. They didn't control the play as much as they did in Games 1 and 2 in Anaheim, but feel they can rebound Friday in Game 4. The Flames' win forces a Game 5 Sunday in Anaheim.

"We had three solid chances to end it in overtime and they took advantage late," Belesky said. "That's the way it is, but we're still up 2-1. Win one more game here and head home and look to close it out."

Down 2-1 to start the second, the Flames got the home crowd fired up while short-handed. Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm blew a tire and fell at the Flames blueline, giving Colborne a breakaway. The lanky center deked to his forehand and tucked the puck under the sprawled leg of Andersen to ignite the crowd.

The Ducks got it right back though, after hemming the Flames in their own zone for a handful of shifts. Finally, Belesky got open in the slot for a clean shot, and he ripped one to the top corner over the shoulder of Ramo, making 18 saves in his second straight start.

The Flames were looking for a home-crowd bounce out of the gate, and they got it. Just 2:07 in, Granlund and Bollig broke in on a 2-on-1 with the lone man back being Ducks right winger Tim Jackman. Bollig chipped the puck ahead to Granlund, and the center fed Bollig alone in front. He roofed the puck on Andersen.

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Ducks top line connected a little less than five minutes later. Getzlaf snagged a pass near the corner, then whipped the puck across the crease for Maroon for the quick tap-in and the game was tied 1-1.

The Ducks took a 2-1 lead at 14:10 of the first period. On a mad scramble in the Flames zone, Despres circled the net and threw the puck out front, where it hit Perry's skate and went in. After a review, it stood up as a good goal as Perry was ruled to have no distinct kicking motion.

NOTES: Flames D Raphael Diaz made his playoff debut, taking the place of D Tyler Wotherspoon. Diaz has missed 12 games since suffering a lower-body injury April 2 against the St. Louis Blues. ... Ducks G Jason LaBarbera served as the backup to G Frederick Andersen with G John Gibson (flu) still recovering from illness. Gibson is on the trip and is expected to recover in time to suit up for Friday's Game 4. ... Flames C Markus Granlund took the place of LW David Wolf with LW Micheal Ferland (upper body) out for a second straight night. ... Flames C Sam Bennett suited up in his 10th game this season (one in the regular season and nine in the playoffs) and that means he burns his first year of an entry-level contract.