Huberdeau split the Pens D and was hooked by blueliner Ryan Shea before he could get a shot off, leading to the first powerplay of the game for the Flames at 4:16 of the first period.
And they came within an inch of opening the scoring.
Martin Pospisil – parked in front of the net with Kris Letang on his back – gathered the rebound of a Kadri shot and wrapped it around the outstretched pad of Nedeljkovic, but it hit the post and fired back out through the blue paint behind the Pens 'tender.
The homeside then got a great look after MacKenzie Weegar got tangled up with a Pen in their zone leading to a 2-on-1 for Pittsburgh, but Vladar sprang across to make the save on Michael Bunting’s shot from a Anthony Beauvillier feed.
Mikael Backlund’s hard work in the corner eventually led to him tipping a Weegar shot that Nedeljkovic saved, the captain spinning off his defender and trying to jam it home but to no avail.
Moments later, Nedeljkovic committed grand larceny on Rasmus Andersson.
Kevin Bahl’s point blast missed the net, but hit the end boards and came out to Andersson who had snuck in from the point on the backside. He wired a one-timer that the Pens goalie lunged in the splits to glove with a miraculous stop as he fell on his belly. The officials reviewed to see if Nedeljkovic's glove and puck crossed the line but the no-goal call stood.
Pittsburgh got on the board at 17:14 after a Calgary turnover led to a Pens rush, and Beauvillier put a backhand high shortside past Vladar.
A strong shift by Pittsburgh early in the second led to a Flames penalty at 2:33 and the Pens converted seven seconds into it, Bunting standing beside the net and putting home the rebound of a Matt Grzelcyk point shot.
The Flames went to the powerplay shortly after, with Nedeljkovic scrambling amid a pile up in front of the net to keep the puck out, then getting back to his feet, sans his stick, to stop Huberdeau’s slot shot.
The Pens got another powerplay tally at 9:02 with just two seconds left on their advantage, Vladar sliding out of his net and Philip Tomasino then taking a pass from Kris Letang, firing it into the wide-open cage.
Jake Bean chased down Sidney Crosby to deny a breakaway by the Pens captain in the third, knocking the puck away, but Crosby got it back and fed Rickard Rakell out front and he scored at 5:25.
The Pens would another powerplay goal at 7:59 when Letang fired a slapshot high farside.
Blake Lizotte round out the scoring with 1:37 left in the outing.
