Flames score three in third, top Maple Leafs

CALGARY --The Calgary Flames scored three goals in the span of 2:30 early in the third period to win their seventh straight game, 4-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday.

Johnny Gaudreau scored two goals, Travis Hamonic had a goal and an assist, and David Rittich made 32 saves for Calgary (18-12-4), which hasn't lost when coached by Geoff Ward and is 8-0-1 in its past nine games.
"Obviously, it wasn't the start we wanted for our team to start the season," Gaudreau said. "Started fresh with Ward] and we've been playing really well. We've been playing well and it's showing in our results."
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John Tavares and Mitchell Marner each had a goal and an assist, and Frederik Andersen made 20 saves for Toronto (15-14-4), which has lost three of its past five.
Gaudreau scored 19 seconds into the third period following a turnover by Andersen to tie it 2-2, and Michael Frolik scored for the third straight game to put the Flames ahead 3-2 at 1:59.

"I think giving up one as quick as we did (in the third period), it just seemed we got down on ourselves," Tavares said. "We just didn't have a good response after that and didn't execute very well and gave them too much space in the middle of the ice that let them capitalize on those next couple chances."
Gaudreau scored his second when he redirected Hamonic's point shot five-hole on Andersen to extend the lead to 4-2 at 2:49.
"We knew we needed to have a strong push to start the third and we found a way to score three quick ones and played well with the lead," Gaudreau said.

With the Maple Leafs on a 5-on-3 power play, Rittich made a glove save on Tavares at 6:24 and Auston Matthews hit the post six seconds later.
"You get that type of opportunity, we have to find a way to capitalize," Tavares said. "I had a great opportunity off [Matthews]'s shot. We had some chances to get back in it, but obviously we don't want to get to that position in the first place. Starting with myself and the way we started the period, we've got to be better and when we get opportunities, we've got to capitalize."
Tavares gave Toronto a 1-0 lead at 8:24 of the first period, scoring on a one-timer after receiving a backhand pass from behind the net by Marner, who has five assists in his past three games.

Hamonic tied it 1-1 at 16:23, beating Andersen glove side from the right circle.
Marner put the Maple Leafs ahead 2-1 at 14:06 of the second period when he took a return pass from Tavares and scored from the right circle.

They said it

"It was a [heck] of a game. A lot of skill out there. We knew that they're a pretty skilled team and they're rolling under the new coach (Sheldon Keefe) and so are we, so it must have been fun for the fans and overall, it was a good game." -- Flames forward Michael Frolik
"We've got the skill. We're a hard team to defend when we have it in our hands. I think that was the message, stop throwing the puck away, play with calmness. I think as a team, we've got to be way better in these thirds, make sure we have that calmness and make sure we're not throwing pucks away." -- Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner

Need to know

Calgary's winning streak is its longest since a seven-game stretch from Feb. 16-27, 2019. … Monahan had two assists and has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in an eight-game point streak. … Gaudreau has four goals in the past five games after going 10 straight without a goal. … Toronto's loss was its first in regulation when leading after two periods (11-1-2). … Andersen remains one win from 200 in the NHL.

What's next

Maple Leafs: At the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNO, SNW, SNP, NHL.TV)
Flames:Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday (4 p.m. ET; SNW, FS-CR, NHL.TV)