Gaudreau hits 100-point mark, Tkachuk nets hat-trick as Flames come back to beat Kraken

Matthew Tkachuk recorded his second career hat-trick and Johnny Gaudreau reached the 100-point plateau for the first time as the Calgary Flames beat the visiting Seattle Kraken 5-3 on Tuesday.

Tkachuk, who had scored the Flames’ lone goal with the Kraken leading 3-1 after two periods of play, started his team’s offensive comeback 3:10 into the third period and added an empty-net tally at the end. He now has 37 goals on the season, one behind team goals leader and linemate Elias Lindholm, and 92 points.

Gaudreau first Flame to hit century mark since 1993

Gaudreau became the first Flames player since Theoren Fleury in 1993 to reach the century mark for points when he earned an assist on Tkachuk’s third-period marker. He finished the night with 101 points after assisting on linemate Tkachuk’s empty-netter.

Andrew Mangiapane earned the tying goal at 5:33 of the third, breaking a 12-game personal goal-scoring drought with his 31st tally of the season before Noah Hanifin scored the winner with 5:50 left in the final frame.

Rasmus Andersson, Hanifin’s partner on the Flames’ top defensive pairing, notched two assists for the Flames, whose record improved to 45-19-9 for 99 points through 73 games with the win (their fifth in a row.)

It puts the Flames nine points ahead of the second-place Edmonton Oilers, 5-1 losers to the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, for top spot in the NHL’s Pacific Division with a game in hand.

Goalie Dan Vladar, who replaced starter Jacob Markstrom for the third period, stopped all seven Kraken shots he faced. Markstrom had made 12 saves on 15 Kraken shots through the first 40 minutes of the game.

The Flames completed the four-game regular-season series sweep over the expansion Kraken, who they beat 4-1 on Saturday in the first game of the home-and-home affair.

Ryan Donato, Victor Rask and Adam Larsson scored for Seattle, while goalie Chris Driedger made 26 saves.

The Flames return to action on Thursday at 7 p.m. when the Vegas Golden Knights visit the Saddledome.

Perfect Calgary Flames trip

April 4: Kings toppled • April 6: Ducks plucked • April 7: Sharks skewered • April 9: Kraken crushed