Flames topple Predators to move atop Western Conference standings
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Oliver Kylington scored his first NHL goal and helped set up Garnet Hathaway's tiebreaking score as the Calgary Flames beat the Nashville Predators 5-2 Saturday night.
Sean Monahan, Alan Quine and Elias Lindholm also scored to help the Pacific Division-leading Flames win their fifth straight and move one point ahead of Central-leading Nashville into first place in the Western Conference. Mike Smith stopped 25 shots to win his sixth straight after a rocky start to the season.
Colton Sissons and Craig Smith scored for the Predators, who fell to 0-5-1 in their last six on the road. Juuse Saros finished with 20 saves.
Hathaway put the Flames ahead 3-2 at 6:03 of the third period, neatly deflecting Matthew Tkachuk's point shot. Kylington, a 21-year-old rookie defenseman, had the second assist on the play.
The Flames got some insurance with 7:48 left when Quine - recalled earlier in the day from the AHL's Stockton Heat - got his first of the season off a setup from rookie defenseman Rasmus Andersson.
Quine, 25, had six NHL goals in 84 career games with the New York Islanders. He was inserted into the lineup with the Flames missing Mikael Backlund (concussion), who was injured Thursday, as well as Ryan Lomberg and captain Mark Giordano, who both received two-game suspensions from separate incidents in that same game against the Minnesota Wild.
Lindholm capped the scoring with an empty-netter with 3 minutes left.
Calgary struck first just 1:12 into the game when Kylington took a pass from Lindholm and fired a rising shot over Saros. His first goal and point comes in career game No. 7.
The Predators tied it in the final minute of the first when Roman Josi carried the puck down the wing and feathered a pass in front thatSissons neatly tipped past Smith.
Monahan restored Calgary's lead late in the second when he was left with a free path to the front of the net and he scored his team-leading 18th on a backhand.
Smith tied it 2-2 early in the third on a wrist shot from a bad angle that dribbled through Smith.
NOTES: Josi has 10 assists in his last 12 games. ... Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau had two assists to extend his points streak to seven games. .. Lindholm, who also had an assist, increased his points streak to six games. ... The Flames' Mark Jankowski played in his 100th career game. ... Calgary improved to 14-2-0 when scoring first. .
UP NExT
Predators:: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night to open a three-game homestand.
Flames: At Edmonton on Sunday.
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