CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Wade Allison scored the game-winner and fellow rookie Samuel Ersson made 32 saves to maintain his perfect record as the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Calgary Flames 4-3 on Monday.
Travis Konecny and Tony DeAngelo each had a goal and an assist for Philadelphia. Nicolas Deslauriers also scored as the Flyers snapped a four-game losing streak.
Mikael Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane had a goal an assist each for Calgary while Tyler Toffoli notched his team-leading 23rd.
The Flames remain two points back of Minnesota, which occupies the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. The Wild also hold a game in hand.
Ersson, 23, is the eighth goaltender in NHL history to start his career 6-0-0.
At the other end, the struggles continue for Jacob Markstrom, who had 18 stops. A finalist last season for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender, Markstrom is 15-14-7 record and has not won consecutive starts since mid-December.
Down 3-1 to start the third period, Calgary got it back to even when Toffoli scored from a sharp angle at 4:38 and, less than five minutes later after a stretch of tremendous pressure, Mangiapane rattled in a rebound.
But the Flyers retook the lead at 11:33 on a defensive breakdown when James Van Riemsdyk got free in the slot and set up Allison at the far post for his eighth goal.
Blake Coleman nearly tied it with four minutes left but on a breakaway, but his shot through Ersson’s pads on a deke went off the post.
Philadelphia scored first at 16:59 when Konecny broke down the left wing, cut inside to sidestep the backcheck of Noah Hanifin, and beat Markstrom blocker side from 25 feet out.
The Flyers made it 2-0 at 7:30 of the second when Cam York hopped out of the penalty box to corral a loose puck at center and seconds later on a 2-on-1, his centering pass to Deslauriers was deflected in.
Backlund’s goal less than 90 seconds later cut the deficit to one, but Philadelphia restored its two-goal cushion at 11:31 when DeAngelo’s wrist shot from 40 feet out beat Markstrom over his glove.
Calgary failed to take advantage of a Philadelphia penalty kill that had surrendered three goals on its last five man disadvantages, going 0-for-4 on the power play. The Flyers finished 0-for-1.
LINDHOLM RETURNS
Elias Lindholm returned to his spot as center on the Flames No. 1 line after missing last game due to the birth of his first child. Adam Ruzicka, his replacement last game, stayed in the line-up, dropping down to center the fourth line.
UP NEXT
Flyers: Finish a four-game road trip at Edmonton on Tuesday night.
Flames: Kick off a three-game road trip at Arizona on Wednesday night.
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