Hamilton breaks out as Flames get by Senators
CALGARY Dougie Hamilton scored his first two goals and added an assist Friday night to lead the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators.
With the game tied 2-2 halfway through the second, Hamilton retrieved the puck from the sideboards, spun and whipped a shot from a bad angle over the shoulder of Chris Driedger.
It was the second goal on five shots to beat the rookie goaltender, who entered the game with a 2-1 lead to begin the second after Andrew Hammond left with a lower-body injury.
Hammond started because Craig Anderson, coming off a shutout in Vancouver on Tuesday, was granted a leave from the team to attend to a personal matter.
Sam Bennett, Sean Monahan and Michael Frolik also scored for Calgary (4-4-1). After a poor start, the Flames have won three straight. They will try to keep rolling Sunday when they welcome Washington to the Saddledome.
Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris scored for Ottawa (4-30). The Senators wrap up their road trip on Sunday in Edmonton.
Nursing a one-goal lead, Calgary put the game away with goals three minutes apart midway through the third period. Monahan scored his fourth on a wicked slap shot. Johnny Gaudreau had the set up for his second assist of the night. Frolik completed the scoring with his fourth of the year.
Driedger, who played three seasons of junior hockey for the Calgary Hitmen (WHL), finished the night with 11 stops.
JETS 1, AVALANCHE 0
DENVER — Shawn Matthias scored in the second period against his former team, Michael Hutchinson stopped 37 shots for his third career NHL shutout and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche.
OILERS 2, CANUCKS 0
VANCOUVER — Cam Talbot made 26 saves and Connor McDavid scored on a breakaway in the second period as the Edmonton Oilers blanked the Vancouver Canucks.
HURRICANES 3, RANGERS 2
RALEIGH, N.C. — Jeff Skinner had two goals and an assist, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers.
Skinner’s 16th career threepoint night — in his debut wearing the “A” as an alternate captain — helped the Hurricanes win their home opener.
BLACKHAWKS 3, DEVILS 2, OT
NEWARK, N.J. — Artem Anisimov scored on a rebound at 1:15 of overtime and Chicago rallied to hand New Jersey its first home loss.
Marian Hossa tied the game with a power-play goal with 2:11 left in regulation after the Blackhawks pulled goaltender Corey Crawford for a sixth skater.