NO EXIT | NHL.com
Flexible.
Brave.
You could choose quite a few different adjectives to describe the Flames’ performance Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Video: Brendan Parker ends the night
Down to five defenders very early in the evening and trailing 3-1 after the first period, the home team battled back to tie the game and eventually force OT, falling in extra innings when the Devils scored a power play marker 2:38 in.
Nazem Kadri opened the scoring in the game before New Jersey rattled off three straight in the opening frame. Elias Lindholm would score in the second period and Nikita Zadorov in the third to make it a game.
Jacob Markstrom made 31 saves, while Vitek Vanecek made 27 stops.
Calgary is now 5-4-1, while the storming Devils improved to 9-3-0 and have won six straight.
Defensive stalwart Chris Tanev missed his second straight game due to injury, and Connor Mackey started again in his place.
Then veteran Michael Stone left early in the first period, having played just 25 seconds in the contest.
That led to some Herculian totals for four of the team’s blueliners: Rasmus Andersson led all players with a career-high 29:43, MacKenzie Weegar second at 28:41, Nikita Zadorov at 28:24, and Noah Hanifin at 24:42.
Kadri got the game going on the opening goal he had scored, skating the puck up the ice with a high dump-in at the blue line that Vanecek would knock into the corner with his blocker, Kadri followed and beat Damon Severson to separate him from the puck.
Trevor Lewis eventually made a backhand pass that Kadri finished with a backhand shot in close as he was dumped to the ice. He jumped to his feet with another coat of snow on him and a big smile to celebrate his team-leading sixth goal of the season.
The Devils tied it up at 4:27 after a long possession in the Flames zone, the puck cycled down low and Jack Hughes then fed it between his legs behind the net to Nathan Bastien, who was alone in one hour as he skated into the lane .
Video: [email protected]: Kadri scores in the 1st period
The Devils got their first lead of the game at 7:50 when Fabian Zetterlund finished a passing play at the right post, knocking the puck behind Markstrom.
They added another with 3:22 to go in the first off the stick of Miles Wood.
The Flames then started the comeback with a wild play.
Tyler Toffoli got a bite of the puck while on the PK, skated forward and flipped a pass to Noah Hanifin coming out of the penalty box. Hanifin passed back to him, then back to Hanifin, whose shot was stopped by Vanecek, but Hanifin then laid a spinning backhand pass to a trailing Lindholm who put it into the open cage from his knees at 4:48.
Check out this crazy ride:
Video: [email protected]: Lindholm scores in the 2nd period
Zadorov tied it at 3:12 of the third period, stretching like a curler coming off the hack to stay inside, then raced to the net and tipped home a pass from Blake Coleman.
Video: [email protected]: Zadorov scores in the 3rd period
Markstrom made arguably his biggest stop of the game with 12:47 left in the third, joining Hughes on a partial breakaway, the young forward going backhand/forehand, but Markstrom reversed his offering and then a subsequent New Jersey rebound chance under pressure .
Zetterlund got his second with a one-timer in overtime to end the contest.
THEY SAID THAT:
Video: “We had to shorten the bench a lot”
Video: “Common theme, lapses in the d-zone”
Video: “The boys fought hard”
THE ORIGINAL 16 POSTGAME LIVE SHOW:
BY NUMBERS:
Shot: CGY 30, NJD 35
Power play: CGY 0-2, NJD 1-5
Meet: CGY 40, NJD 14
Face-offs: CGY 48%, NJD 52%
*Scoring chances: CGY 18, NJD 28
*High danger scoring chances: CGY 10, NJD 14
*According to Natural Stat Trick (5-on-5)
SET UP:
The trios and D pairs to start the tilt:
Lines
Jonathan Huberdeau – Elias Lindholm – Tyler Toffoli
Dillon Dube – Nazem Kadri – Andrew Mangiapane
Blake Coleman – Mikael Backlund – Trevor Lewis
Milan Lucic – Kevin Rooney – Brett Ritchie
Connections
Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson
Nikita Zadorov – MacKenzie Weegar
Connor Mackey – Michael Stone
Goalkeepers
Jacob Markstrom – starter
Dan Vladar
NEXT:
The Flames hit the road for a three-game swing with tilts against the Islanders Monday, Devils Tuesday and Bruins Thursday before returning to the Scotiabank Saddledome to host the Jets on Saturday. Click for tickets
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