Huberdeau has 2 goals, 2 assists in Flames win against Flyers

CALGARY -- Jonathan Huberdeau had two goals and two assists to help the Calgary Flames to a 6-3 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Scotiabank Saddledome on Saturday.

Nazem Kadri had two goals, MacKenzie Weegar had a goal and an assist, and Andrei Kuzmenko had three assists for the Flames (2-0-0). Dustin Wolf made 37 saves.

“We all bought into the system and the way we’re going to play, and I think it’s important early to get a good start," Huberdeau said. "Last year, we dug ourselves a big hole (starting 2-7-1). So, I think coming in and get some big wins and feeling good about ourselves, it’s what we needed.”

Travis Konecny had two goals, and Joel Farabee also scored for the Flyers (1-1-0). Ivan Fedotov made 26 saves, and rookie forward Matvei Michkov had an assist for his first NHL point.

"You can't win every game in this league," Farabee said. "They're a good team. They're a heavy, hard team. They hit us. They were physical. Credit to them, but I think just keep focusing on us here on this trip and we'll keep getting better each day."

Huberdeau gave Calgary a 1-0 lead at 5:37 of the first period. Martin Pospisil's centering pass from behind the net deflected up off Huberdeau's shoulder and over Fedotov before dropping into the net.

"I guess I was getting some nice bounces out there, just working hard, getting rewarded," said Huberdeau, who has scored in consecutive games to start a season for the first time in his NHL career. "I don't think I've ever scored a goal off my shoulder. So that was a great bounce. To start the game like that, that's huge."

Weegar made it 2-0 at 7:43 when he one-timed a return pass from Huberdeau past Fedotov's blocker from the high slot on the power play.

"Their first goal was a really lucky bounce and then they get one on a 4-on-3," Farabee said. "When you're two goals behind right away, it's kind of tough. Honestly, I really liked our game. At the start of the third period they had like 12 shots or something. We had a lot of chances that we didn't bury, myself included. Definitely [stinks] getting behind early. I think there's some things to like, but definitely some things to clean up, too."

Konecny tapped in a return pass from Scott Laughton on a short-handed 2-on-1 rush to cut the Flames lead to 2-1 at 7:05 of the second period. He led the NHL with six short-handed goals last season.

Kadri pushed it to 3-1 at 14:41 with a one-timer from the left circle off a pass from Kuzmenko from behind the net on a 5-on-3 man-advantage.

Farabee brought the Flyers to within 3-2 at 18:11 when he tapped in a centering pass from Bobby Brink.

Mikael Backlund made it 4-2 at 14:46 of the third period, finishing off a 2-on-1 rush with Blake Coleman, and Huberdeau beat Fedotov with a one-timer off a cross-crease pass from Pospisil to make it 5-2 at 15:34.

"I think you build from that," Huberdeau said. "It's one game. There's 80 more. It's a long season, but that's how I want to build. Having these kind of nights, that helps the confidence. And I just want to go up from there."

Konecny cut it to 5-3 at 17:11 during a 6-on-4 advantage with a one-timer in front off a pass from Michkov in the bumper position.

Kadri scored into an empty net for the 6-3 final at 18:16.

"I don't think it was energy with us," Flyers coach John Tortorella said. "I just felt when we got momentum, we took a penalty. Two-men down penalty. There was a lot of good things in the game, but there's a number of things we have to continue to work on. There were misfires. We'll work at our game and try to get better."

NOTES: The Flames remembered Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau with a special tribute prior to puck drop. ... Huberdeau has five points (two goals, three assists) in two games. The only players in Flames history to have as many points through the team’s first two games of a season were Johnny Gaudreau (two goals, three assists in 2019-20) and Matthew Tkachuk (one goal, four assists in 2018-19).