Perfect Flames Score Three Straight for 3-2 Comeback Win over Vegas

Calgary Flames winger Andrew Managiapane called it after the morning skate.

The battle of two Pacific Division heavyweights wasn’t going to be a blowout.

“It’s going to be a close game. I think it’s going to come down to the team that wants it more and doesn’t make mistakes,” Mangiapane said Tuesday morning.

Well, their goaltender made an early mistake and they found themselves in an early deficit. But the Calgary Flames scored three straight goals against the Vegas Golden Knights to escape with a 3-2 victory. The comeback is now one of just four NHL squads who have yet to lose this season.

“It’s going to be big for us to start strong here at home and carry that into the rest of the season,” Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar said at the onset of an eight-game homestand.

It was the Knights who started the evening strong, however.

William Carrier put a softie past Jacob Markstrom 3:55 into the first period, and Calgary-born Brett Howden made a nice deflection to give the Knights a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

Carrier’s shot hit Markstrom’s trapper and kept going. Fortunately for the Flames, so did their goaltender.

Markstrom was pretty solid the rest of the way, especially during the Knights’ powerplay time in the third period.

“He made the saves he had to,” Calgary Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said on Sportsnet 960 post-game. “Kept it 2-2.”

Turning up the pace in the second period, the Flames triggered a slew of Knights penalties. They spent nearly half of the middle frame on the powerplay, and the Calgary Flames made their opponents pay.

Sutter suggested his fourth-line players should get some assists on the powerplay markers. Their gritty play drew a handful of calls.

“Champions,” Sutter said. “They know how to weather it.”

Technically, Elias Lindholm scored the Flames’ first goal twice.

The first one was waved off on a challenge determined there was enough goalie contact from Nazem Kadri in the blue paint to affect the play. The second goal had a hint of controversy, too. Lindholm whacked the puck out of the air with a high stick. But the NHL offices determined it was legal, and he earned his second of the season to cut the lead in half.

It wasn’t long before the game was squared up. The Flames got their second powerplay goal about two and a half minutes later from Tyler Toffoli, who finally connected after a few missed opportunities.

Mikael Backlund’s winner with less than five minutes to play in the third spoiled a strong showing from Calgary kid Logan Thompson. The Knights netminder made some massive saves among the 37 he stopped. None better than the glove snag on Toffoli at the side of the net early in the second.

The Flames outshot the Knights 40-21 on the night.

But the big bodies on the fourth line were just as important as big guns in the top nine.

“We had to use everybody, that’s for sure. Come over a little adversity, being down two. And a disallowed goal,” Sutter said, sounding like he was talking after a loss rather than a third straight win.

His parting shot suggested the Calgary Flames remain an underdog against the Knights.

“We’re not in their territory yet, so it’s a good lesson for us.”