CALGARY, Alberta (Interstat) — The Calgary Flames erupted for three first-period goals and never trailed in a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mikael Backlund led the Flames with two goals, including a key second-period backhander, and an assist before a crowd of 18,256. Calgary’s MacKenzie Weegar and Connor Zary each recorded three assists. Vegas, which entered as a road favorite, got goals from Reilly Smith, Kaedan Korczak and Mark Stone but was outmatched early. The Flames improved to 15-21, while the Golden Knights fell to 16-17. Vegas goalie Devin Cooley made 33 saves in the win. The result avenged two losses to Vegas earlier this season.

CALGARY, Alberta (Interstat) — Mikael Backlund scored twice and MacKenzie Weegar collected three assists as the Calgary Flames erupted for three first-period goals and cruised to a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in National Hockey League action Saturday night at Scotiabank Saddledome. A crowd of 18,256 watched the Flames snap a two-game losing streak to their Pacific Division rivals this season and improve to 15-21. Vegas fell to 16-17 with the loss, its second in three games. The Flames, who entered the game with the league’s fifth-worst offense, solved Vegas goaltender Akira Schmid early and often, building a 3-1 lead after the opening period that they would not relinquish. Calgary set a physical tone from the outset, outhitting the Golden Knights and capitalizing on turnovers. The breakthrough came at 15:45 of the first when Ryan Lomberg finished a passing sequence from Connor Zary and Johnny Beecher, beating Schmid with a wrist shot. The goal was immediately followed by a fight between Lomberg and Vegas defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, resulting in five-minute majors for both. Just over three minutes later, Backlund extended the lead. Stationed in the slot, the Flames’ captain took a feed from Blake Coleman and snapped a wrist shot past Schmid for his eighth of the season at 18:54, with Zary earning the secondary assist. The Flames’ relentless pressure continued, and they struck again before the period ended. At 19:42, towering winger Adam Klapka deflected a point shot from defenseman Yan Kuznetsov for his third goal, with Weegar also assisting to make it 3-0. Vegas managed to stop the bleeding before intermission. Reilly Smith got the Golden Knights on the board with a backhand goal at 10:03 of the first, assisted by Mark Stone and Zach Whitecloud. Any momentum for the visitors was short-lived. Backlund struck again in the second period, showcasing his persistence. After having a tip-in attempt stopped by Schmid, he collected his own rebound and tucked a backhand around the goaltender at 16:38. The goal, his ninth, was again set up by Weegar and Zary, who each finished the night with three assists. Calgary’s power play, which had been struggling, converted later in the frame. With Morgan Frost in the box for tripping, Joel Farabee wired a wrist shot from the right circle past Schmid at 24:21, with Weegar notching his third helper of the night to put the Flames up 5-1. Vegas defenseman Kaedan Korczak responded for the Golden Knights less than four minutes later, beating Flames netminder Devin Cooley with a wrist shot at 28:34, assisted by Mitch Marner and Tomas Hertl. The third period saw Vegas push to close the gap, outshooting Calgary 15-8, but Cooley was stellar in relief of the early offensive support. The Flames’ goaltender, making his first start of the season, turned aside 33 of 36 shots to earn the win. Vegas captain Mark Stone scored on the power play at 48:03 of the third, batting a puck out of mid-air after a point shot from Noah Hanifin, with Marner picking up his second assist. The goal cut the deficit to 5-3. Any thought of a late comeback was extinguished by Calgary’s top line. Backlund, who was named the game’s first star, won a defensive zone faceoff and then drove the net, creating a chance that Jonathan Huberdeau finished with a wrist shot at 57:15 for his seventh goal, sealing the 6-3 final. The loss spoiled a multi-point night for Vegas’ Marner, who had two assists. Schmid made 30 saves on 36 shots in the defeat. The result defied pregame projections, which had favored Vegas. National Statistical’s game simulator had projected a 4-3 Calgary win, while its ELO system gave Vegas a 58.5% probability of victory. The Golden Knights had been installed as a 1.5-goal favorite on the betting line. The combined nine goals went over the closing over/under line of 5.5. Calgary’s victory provides a positive note as they head into a home-and-home series with the Edmonton Oilers, beginning on the road Tuesday. Vegas, meanwhile, continues its road trip with a visit to Edmonton on Sunday night, looking to avoid falling back to .500.

Vegas Looks to Rebound Against Flames in Calgary CALGARY, Alberta (Interstat) — The Vegas Golden Knights visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday night at Scotiabank Saddledome in a matchup of Western Conference teams seeking consistency. Vegas (16-16-0) arrives after a 2-1 shootout loss to New Jersey on Wednesday. The Golden Knights have earned points in seven of their last 10 outings (5-3-2) but have split their last four games. Center Ivan Barbashev, a player to watch, brings a physical edge with 10 hits over his last five contests and has five points (3 goals, 2 assists) in his last 10 games. Calgary (14-21-0) is coming off a 4-2 home victory over Seattle on Thursday, which snapped a two-game skid. Captain Mikael Backlund, coming off a two-goal performance in that win, has been a bright spot with three goals and an assist in his last five games. The Golden Knights have dominated the recent head-to-head series, outscoring the Flames 10-3 over two meetings in October. Vegas won 6-1 at home on Oct. 18 and 4-2 in Calgary on Oct. 14. Vegas has navigated a heavy road schedule lately, playing eight of its last 11 away from home. Calgary, after a six-game homestand that concludes Saturday, will embark on a four-game road trip next week. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, the projected final score is Calgary 4, Vegas 3. The Golden Knights continue a back-to-back set Sunday in Edmonton. The Flames’ next game is Tuesday in Edmonton.