FIRST THINGS FIRST ...

They wanted a better start and more goals.
They got it.

NEED-TO-KNOW
POST-GAME VIDEO
Game Highlights
Post-Game Interviews

STAT PACK
Stats & Scoring Summary
Scoring Leaders
Standings
MORE
Photo Gallery
Say What - Post-Game Quotes
UPDATES

Dillon Dube notched his first career hat-trick to pace the Flames, who had no trouble lighting the lamp Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome against the Ottawa Senators, as the homeside skated to a 7-3 victory.
They were Dube's fourth, fifth and sixth tallies of the campaign.
With the win, Calgary improved to 11-11-2.
The Sens dropped to 8-17-1.
Brett Ritchie, Sean Monahan, Josh Leivo and Derek Ryan also scored for the Flames, while David Rittich made 26 saves.
Matthew Tkachuk had three helpers.
Ryan - who returned to the lineup after missing 13 games - sure didn't look rusty, not one bit.
He settled back in pretty quick.
Rasmus Andersson fired a perfect stretch pass up the middle to a streaking Ryan at full gallop early in the opening stanza. He fed linemate Ritchie, who converted on a lovely saucer pass with a dragging one-timer that beat Matt Murray short-side just 2:22 into the opening stanza.
It was Ritchie's first marker as Flame.

Dube scored his fourth of the season 37 seconds later, Noah Hanifin carrying the puck into the zone and after a battle down low in the corner, Tkachuk passing out to Dube who fired through traffic for the tally.
Two goals on three shots - not too shabby.

The Sens scored at 5:25 following a pileup in front of Rittich, Josh Norris sweeping the puck in. The officials reviewed it to see if there was goaltender interference, but the goal stood.
Tkachuk was sent to the box for roughing after a tussle with Connor Brown following the goal, but Ottawa failed to score on the man-up opportunity.
Monahan restored the two-goal cushion at 11:56 with his fifth of the season.
The unassisted marker came after Monahan intercepted a pass in the neutral zone, and skated the puck back in with four Sens around him - but none pressuring, so he snapped a wrister high far-side from the slot.
Moments earlier, Johnny Gaudreau had set Monahan in the slot with a pass from behind the net but he got his stick lifted before he could get the puck.

Speaking of No. 13, he picked up a puck in the corner and fired a long one-timer pass out to Leivo and he skated in to snap home his first as a Flame with 40 seconds left in the period, Monahan getting the other helper.

Joey Daccord replaced Murray in the net to start the second period, the Sens looking to spark their team.
Dube got his second of the night at 7:16, Tkachuk firing a no-look pass out from behind the net to the winger, who put a backhand home, Mark Giordano also getting an assist.
The captain is now five points shy of 500 for his career.

The Sens later hemmed the Flames in their zone for a prolonged possession that led to Mikael Backlund being tagged for a double high-sticking minor on Brown right in front of Rittich.
The Flames killed it off, with a great short-handed chance by Elias Lindholm to Joakim Nordstrom mixed in for good measure.
Dube notched his third early in the third period at 1:17 and Ryan scored at 7:05, a pair of Sens markers sandwiched inbetween.

THE LINEUP:

\ To start the game
Lines
Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Josh Leivo
Matthew Tkachuk - Elias Lindholm - Dillon Dube
Milan Lucic - Mikael Backlund - Andrew Mangiapane
Joakim Nordstrom - Derek Ryan - Brett Ritchie
Pairings
Mark Giordano - Rasmus Andersson
Noah Hanifin - Chris Tanev
Juuso Valimaki - Oliver Kylington
Goaltender
David Rittich - starter*
Jacob Markstrom

UP NEXT:

The Flames head up the QEII for a Hockey Night in Canada battle with the Oilers at 8 p.m. Saturday.