'It's good to get over the hump': Takeaways from the Calgary Flames' 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators

For the first time since Oct. 19, the fourth game of the season, the Calgary Flames are above the NHL’s version of .500. Their record was 2-1-1.

Thanks to Thursday’s 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators, the Flames are on a three game winning streak for only the second time this campaign and boast a 17-16-5 record.

A quick start — goals by Connor Zary and Blake Coleman 27 seconds apart — sparked an early lead and the Flames never looked back despite some questionable defensive play at times.

“It’s good to get over the hump,” Coleman told reporters in Nashville. “We’ve got to stay there. We’ve got two good road tests to finish it off, a couple day games here. You win those two games, you go back home feeling pretty good.”

Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin and Yegor Sharangovich scored for the Flames against a Predators team holding the first wild-card spot but done-in by porous defensive play and a sub-par performance by goaltender Juuse Saros.

Flames goalie Dan Vladar was solid enough with a 30-save effort.

Now, three more thoughts as the Flames head to Philadelphia for a Saturday afternoon clash with the Flyers:

Bounce-back for Zary and Co.

During Calgary’s win in Minnesota, Kadri’s line, which includes Zary and Martin Pospisil, was less than stellar.

There were moderately better analytically, but what can not be overlooked was their offensive production. Zary’s power-play goal sent the Flames off and running and Kadri’s tally off a rush made it a 3-1 game amidst a four-goal first period.

Zary’s game had taken a step back the past couple of weeks, which is understandable for a rookie. In this game, he was driving the play again, showing creativity and created space when Kadri scored.

“I didn’t have my best couple games,” Zary said. “It was a good reset for me yesterday and then coming in to chat with (coach Ryan Huska) a little bit, get back to my game and be a little bit more direct with my game and faster with my pace, and I think that helped me.”

Vladar's up-and-down outing

Yeah, it was a bit of a surprise the Flames started Vladar in goal. With afternoon games in Philadelphia on Saturday and Chicago on Sunday, Vladar will play two of three outings..

However, it’s worth noting the Flames play 13 games in 26 days in January, and are especially busy to start their month with seven games in 12 days.

Vladar’s miscue on the third goal is yet again a tally he shouldn’t surrender, but he did deliver a couple of key second-period saves when it was a 4-2 game and the Predators were pushing, including a couple just before Hanifin’s goal with 1.6 seconds remaining in the middle frame made it 5-2.

Like most of Vladar’s starts this season with trade rumours surrounding him, it was some-good, some-bad.

Gilbert injury will test defence depth

On a day the Flames received good news with defenceman Oliver Kylington able to report to the AHL Wranglers in the latest step to returning, it would appear Dennis Gilbert could be on the shelf for the rest of this trip.

Gilbert landed on his head after a hit from Philip Tomasino late in the game. Gilbert, who had been playing his best hockey for the Flames lately, was on the ice for a long time before being helped to the room.

Tomasino was assessed a match penalty, but that matters little to Calgary, which likely will insert Nick DeSimone into the lineup against the Flyers and be forced to summon a blueliner from the minors.

“I see him moving around now so I think he’s going to be fine,” Huska said. “He’s just going to have to go through (concussion) protocol is what I would assume right now.”