Jonathan Huberdeau scored the winning goal in a two-point game as the Calgary Flames scored four unanswered third-period goals to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Thursday in Newark, N.J.
Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, Daniil Miromanov and Nazem Kadri also scored for the Flames, who have won two straight as they battle for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot.
Calgary goaltender Dustin Wolf made 26 saves, including a crucial stop on a breakaway midway through the third period while his team trailed by one goal.
Nico Hischier scored once and added an assist while Erik Haula and Paul Cotter netted singles for the Devils, who have lost two of three games but still sit third in the Metropolitan Division.
Jacob Markstrom stopped 23 shots.
Trailing 3-1 heading into the final frame, Calgary had a strong early push and pulled within one goal 6:50 into the period. Zary’s shot, with Kadri creating havoc in front of the net, rattled around and slid across the line.
Miromanov evened the score with his first goal in 24 games, a top-corner shot from the wing at 15:40 following a give-and-go with Blake Coleman.
Huberdeau scored the game-winner 60 seconds later when he pounced on a loose puck in the slot to net his fourth goal in five games.
Kadri’s empty-net goal with 12 seconds remaining sealed the victory.
The Devils had the early edge in play and were rewarded with Hischier’s tally at 17:09 of the first period. Hischier had his wraparound denied, but the puck was redirected into the net by a defender. Hischier is riding a five-game point streak (three goals, three assists).
Haula doubled the lead at 5:25 of the second period, finding the mark with a long shot from the top of the slot for his seventh of the campaign.
The Flames dearly needed a glimmer of hope and received it when Coronato’s power-play goal, his second in as many games, found the twine. The sharp-angled one-timer from the bottom of the left circle came at 11:58 of the middle period.
Cotter restored New Jersey’s two-goal edge with 27.5 seconds remaining in the second frame, converting when he cut to the net from his off wing and tucked home the puck.
–Field Level Media
