CALGARY, Alberta – Sean Monahan scored the game-winning goal for the Calgary Flames, who overcame four goals by Eric Nystrom to beat the Nashville Predators 5-4 in a shootout Friday night.
Monahan, the Flames 19-year-old rookie and leading scorer, beat Devan Dubnyk on a deke after Jiri Hudler scored in the shootout for Calgary and Roman Josi replied for the Predators to even it after three shooters.
Reto Berra improved to 4-0 in shootouts this season as he sprawled to get a pad on shot from Ryan Ellis.
Nashville moved within seven points of one of the two wild-card spots in the Western Conference.
Nystrom had never scored more than two goals in a single contest, and had only scored twice three times.
Mark Giordano, David Jones, Mikael Backlund and T.J. Brodie scored for Calgary. The Flames have now won two straight for the first time in over a month.
The Flames trailed 3-1 entering the third period but got back to within one on Jones’ first goal in 18 games at 1:24.
After Nystrom restored the two-goal cushion, redirecting Matt Cullen’s shot through the pads of Berra at 10:47, the Flames answered less than two minutes later with Backlund deflecting in Kris Russell’s point shot for Calgary’s third power-play goal.
Brodie’s rising shot from the blue-line eluded Dubnyk over his shoulder to even the game just over a minute later.
Nystrom entered the night with one goal in his previous 19 games, but he wasted little time giving Nashville the early lead as he fired a shot past Karri Ramo from the slot just 1:51 into the game.
Tied 1-1, the 30-year-old gave the Predators the lead again on a strange goal 1:50 into the second period. From center ice, Josi flipped the puck toward the Calgary net where it took a weird bounce that Ramo was just able to get his shoulder in front of. Nystrom was first to the rebound and he jammed it under the Flames’ goalie.
Nystrom made it 3-1 less than five minutes later, tipping Paul Gaustad’s shot from deep in the corner over Ramo’s shoulder.
Ramo was promptly pulled by Flames coach Bob Hartley after Nystrom’s third goal, leaving the game with nine saves on 12 shots. It was the first time Ramo had been pulled this season.
Dubnyk was making his second start since being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on Jan. 15 in a trade for Matt Hendricks. He had 27 saves. Berra had 12 in relief.
NOTES: The Flames had multiple power-play goals for just the second time since Oct. 21. The last time they had two was Dec. 23… Nystrom had 19 goals and 20 assists in 204 games with Calgary over parts of four seasons… Paul Byron (foot) returned to the Flames line-up after missing one game. Scratched for Calgary was RW Brian McGrattan (foot) and D Ladislav Smid (undisclosed)… The Predators are 8-3-2 against the Pacific Division… The Flames win for the first time (1-3-2) when Jones scores.
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