Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Flame out: Calgary ends Pens’ winning streak at 6

Kris Letang, Johnny Gaudreau

Kris Letang, Johnny Gaudreau

AP

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Johnny Gaudreau scored twice and had an assist to lead the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.

Sean Monahan and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist, Joe Colborne also scored, and Mikael Backlund had three assists for Calgary. Karri Ramo had 23 saves to help the Flames win consecutive games for the first time this season and snap a nine-game losing streak against the Penguins.

Phil Kessel and Nick Bonino scored for Pittsburgh, which finished 3-1-0 on a four-game road trip. Marc-Andre Fleury had 26 saves.

With the score tied 1-1, Gaudreau put the Flames ahead for good by converting a slick feed from Monahan on a power play with 3:39 left in the first. It was the first power-play goal given up by Pittsburgh in seven games.

Gaudreau capped the scoring with empty-netter with 2:09 left for his second goal of the night and team-leading 17th point of the season.

The sophomore’s big night came with his parents and grandparents among the family that had traveled to Calgary to watch the game.

Fifty seconds after Gaudreau gave his club the 2-1 lead, Bennett made it 3-1 with 2:49 left in the first on a dazzling effort that brought the sell-out Saddledome crowd of 19,289 to their feet.

Bennett darted into the Penguins zone, did a toe-drag to turn defenseman Ian Cole around, then fired a shot past Fleury.

In the second period, Calgary opened up its first three-goal lead of the season on Monahan’s first goal in nine games at 9:05. He batted the puck in out of the air after it had been knocked over to him out of the air by Gaudreau.

Pittsburgh cut the deficit to 4-2 when Bonino went top corner on a power play with 5:43 left in the second.

Ramo had to be sharp late in the second to keep the Penguins from inching closer. He held the post to deny Evgeni Malkin on a backhand as he cut in, then made a sharp glove save to thwart Chris Kunitz.

Calgary had a chance to restore the three-goal lead when David Jones was awarded a penalty shot, but he fired wide.

Fleury entered the game second in the NHL with 1.74 goals-against average and fourth with a .939 save percentage.

NOTES: Pittsburgh is 0-31-6 in the last 37 games in which they’ve trailed after two periods. ... The Flames open up a four-game road trip Tuesday in Florida. ... Flames F Micheal Ferland (lower body) has been cleared for contact and could return this road trip. He’s missed eight games.