The Flames had the last laugh in a 6-3 win over the lofty Jets despite watching former first-round pick snipe three in the opening period
There was a time when a Sean Monahan natural hat-trick would have made the Saddledome giddy. But he’s no longer a member of the Calgary Flames, so when the hatty happened to give the Winnipeg Jets a 3-1 lead halfway through the first period, it made the fans nervous.
The Flames, though, rallied nicely with five unanswered goals to polish off a 6-3 win.It snapped a three-game losing skid and showed again just how confounding the Flames can be with their inconsistent energy from game to game and sometimes period to period.
It was hard not to feel good about Monahan’s success after he spent so many injury plagued seasons with the Flames. It was easier to get behind the game’s opening goalscorer as defenceman Oliver Kylington went end to end and dunked a backhand behind Jets goalie Connor Hellebyuck for his first goal of the season. Kylington recently returned from a 20-month layoff dealing with his mental health. It had the crowd roaring.
Blake Coleman got them back on board a few minutes after Monahan’s feat and kept things close.The Flames took over from there against an elite Jets squad.
Jacob Markstrom rebounded nicely from his tough outing against Detroit and shut the Jets out the rest of the game, making 28 stops and earning his 100th win for the franchise.
He got offensive support from Nazem Kadri, who scored to tie the game early in the second period and added the final goal into an empty net late in the third. He finished with three points on the afternoon, assisting on Andrew Mangiapane’s 11th of the season in the third frame.
"That was a pretty complete game from us besides, you know, a few minutes where they scored a few goals back-to-back," Kadri told reporters after the game. "Besides that, a very good effort."
Certainly one of their better home efforts of the season. Coming in they'd lost six of seven on Saddledome ice. Their stars have been relatively silent at the Dome. It was fitting that Jonathan Huberdeau scored the winner 16:06 into the second period, ensuring the Flames could feel good about the win and the Kylington effort.
"I saw ice, so I just tried to take it and use what I could with it," Kylington said. "I’m happy it went in."
The Flames have a tough week ahead but are off to a good start.