Flames overcome Monahan’s hat trick, defeat Jets

CALGARY -- Nazem Kadri had two goals and an assist for the Calgary Flames, who overcame a hat trick from Sean Monahan to rally for a 6-3 win against the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday.

Jonathan Huberdeau and Andrew Mangiapane each had a goal and an assist, and Oliver Kylington and Blake Coleman scored for the Flames (26-25-5), who had lost three straight. Jacob Markstrom made 28 saves.

"I think it shows a lot," Kylington said. "We've had tough stretches of games in the past here, and we've been down and haven't showed any character, and I think today we really did. I know this group can show character, and we just have to understand we have to do that for each other to win games, really, and be consistent about it."

Monahan got his second career hat trick, and Gabriel Vilardi and Kyle Connor each had two assists for the Jets (33-15-5), who had won three in a row.

"That's as soft a 5-on-5 game as we've played all year," Winnipeg coach Rick Bowness said. "That's not us at all. That didn't even look like the Winnipeg Jets out there. But you know what? You flush it, and we're going to get ready for tomorrow (against the Minnesota Wild)."

Connor Hellebuyck, who made 28 saves, allowed more than three goals for the first time since Nov. 2 (32 games).

"I think he should be right there in the Hart Trophy conversation," Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said. "To me, it's disappointing because those weren't goals that I felt like he could stop. We gave them opportunities to score goals that were defensive breakdowns, and that's on us, that's not on him."

Coleman cut Winnipeg's lead to 3-2 at 14:09 of the first period when he tapped in a cross-crease pass from Mangiapane.

Kadri tied it 3-3 at 4:58 of the second period, deflecting MacKenzie Weegar's point shot on the power play, and Huberdeau put the Flames ahead 4-3 at 16:06 when he shot past a sprawled Hellebuyck after taking a pass from Rasmus Andersson on a rush.

"Obviously, a bit of an adverse start to the game, but we fought back, had a big goal at the end of the first period, and we never looked back," Kadri said. "We were, I thought, the better team against a great hockey team."

Mangiapane made it 5-3 at 13:18 of the third period with a one-timer glove side off a pass from Kadri.

Kadri scored into an empty net at 18:03 for the 6-3 final.

"I thought we were doing all right and kind of gave them their offense," Monahan said. "That's definitely not something you want to do. We were still in it and still had a chance. You have to fight to the end every night."

Kylington gave the Flames a 1-0 lead at 4:14 of the first. He picked off a stretch pass at Calgary's blue line and split two Winnipeg defensemen before lifting a backhand past Hellebuyck's glove.

It was Kylington's first goal since April 18, 2022. He missed the entirety of last season and the first three months of this season to attend to his mental health.

"I wasn't thinking about it," said Kylington, who has played nine games in 2023-24. "I know points and goals and whatever will come, but I just try to focus on what I can control, and that's playing to the best of my abilities. I think I've progressed every game, and I thought I've shown that I can still play. I just feel good in general."

Monahan, who played his first nine seasons with the Flames after he was selected with the No. 6 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, scored three straight goals in 5:17 span.

He tied it 1-1 at 6:07, poking in a loose puck behind Markstrom on the power play, before putting the Jets in front 2-1 at 6:49 on a rebound.

Monahan completed the hat trick to make it 3-1 at 11:24, shooting past Markstrom's right pad from the slot on the power play. It was Monahan’s first hat trick since Nov. 18, 2017, and the fastest natural hat trick in Jets/Atlanta Thrashers history.

"He's had an amazing career in Calgary," Morrissey said. "It's only his second game back here. I know that was a special one for him. It's disappointing that we couldn't get the win for him and be able to celebrate it. But individually, I thought he played great. It's great to see him finding the back of the net. It's been great to have him come in and do what he does. Unfortunately, we couldn't get that win for him."

NOTES: Markstrom earned his 100th win in his 200th game with Calgary. He's the fifth goalie in Flames history with at least 100 victories. He also tied Tommy Salo for the second-most wins in NHL history among Sweden-born goaltenders with 210. Henrik Lundqvist is first with 459. ... Monahan has four goals in six games with Winnipeg since being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 2. ... Hellebuyck went 22-7-2 with a 1.87 goals-against average and .936 save percentage during his streak, which is tied for the seventh-longest in NHL history.