By Canadian Press

Backlund scores winner for Calgary Flames in 3-2 win over Vegas Golden Knights

Oct 18, 2022 | 10:03 PM

CALGARY — Mikael Backlund scored the third-period game winner for the Calgary Flames in a 3-2 win over the visiting Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.

Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli also scored for the hosts, who improved to 3-0 to start the NHL season.

Jonathan Huberdeau, acquired in an off-season trade with the Florida Panthers, assisted on Calgary’s first two goals of the game for his third point in as many games.

Kadri, signed as a free agent in August, had an assist and now has a goal and three assists in his first three games as a Flame. 

Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves for the win in Calgary’s net.

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William Carrier and Brett Howden scored their first goals of the season for Vegas (3-1). Calgarian Logan Thompson stopped 37 of 40 shots in the loss.

After the Flames killed off a pair of hooking minors in the third period, Backlund scored a go-ahead goal at 15:31. Blake Coleman collected the puck off the glass and shovelled it out front to Backlund on Thompson’s doorstep.

Backlund’s 168th career goal for the Flames ranks him fifth among franchise centremen and one ahead of Joel Otto.

Down two goals after the opening period, Calgary converted two of six power-play chances in the second to draw even by 13:19.

After missing a pair of scoring chances earlier in the game, Toffoli corralled a rebound in the slot going backhand to forehand to beat Thompson high stick side.

Toffoli had a shooting lane and some open net earlier in the period, but looked skyward when he shot the puck high.

Lindholm halved the deficit at 10:43 when Thompson juggled his shot high into the air. 

The Knights’ goalie lost sight of the puck falling behind him as teammates Alec Martinez and Alex Pietrangelo tried to bat it away.

The Flames had two consecutive power plays to start the second period. Cassidy successfully challenged Lindholm’s goal for goalie interference at 4:39. Kadri was down in the crease when Lindholm banged in a rebound.

Vegas led by two at 15:23 of the first period on Howden’s knee-high deflection of a Brayden McNabb shot from the blue line.

Thompson down in the crease reached up to glove a golden chance for Toffoli at the side of the net midway through the opening period.

Markstrom mistimed his attempted gloving of Carrier’s wrist shot to give the visitors a 1-0 lead at 3:55.

NOTES

Backlund’s 168th career goal for the Flames ranks him fifth among franchise centremen one ahead of Joel Otto. … Calgary’s Darryl Sutter coached his 1,400th career NHL game Tuesday to tie Pat Quinn for 10th in NHL history. Sutter is the 11th coach to reach that mark (702-503-101-94). … New Knight Phil Kessel’s 986th consecutive NHL game was just three back of Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Keith Yandle’s “ironman” record set in April. … Huberdeau reached 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in nine career games against the Knights.

UP NEXT

Flames: Home to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

Knights: At Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2022.

Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press