National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Calgary 4, Nashville 3
When: 9:00 PM ET, Friday, October 31, 2014
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Referees: Ian Walsh, Dennis LaRue
Linesmen: Mark Wheler, Jay Sharrers
Attendance: 18505

Flames 4, Predators 3: Rookie Johnny Gaudreau capped his team's three-goal, third-period outburst with the eventual game winner as host Calgary held on to beat Nashville.

Jiri Hudler, defenseman T.J. Brodie and Gaudreau scored 4:01 apart early in the third while Sean Monahan added a first-period tally for the Flames, who won for just the second time in six home games. Gaudreau and Monahan each finished with two points while Jonas Hiller turned aside 28 shots in the win.

James Neal scored twice and Craig Smith added a second-period goal for the Predators, who dropped just their second regulation contest in 10 games. Pekka Rinne made 26 saves in defeat.

Monahan opened the scoring on a power-play at 4:23 of the second period, cutting to the front of the net and slapping a rebound of defenseman Dennis Wideman's shot past Rinne. Smith drew the Predators even 67 seconds later, batting a loose puck past a sprawled Hiller for his third goal in two games, and Neal struck at 11:09 with a low wrist shot off the faceoff that eluded the netminder between the pads.

Calgary responded with emphasis in the third, seizing a 3-2 lead on tallies by Hudler and Brodie and making it a two-goal game on Gaudreau's sharp-angle shot that floated over Rinne's right shoulder. Neal trimmed the deficit with the man advantage at 10:47 on a snap shot that beat Hiller on the glove side, but Nashville couldn't convert the equalizer despite outshooting Calgary 14-10 in the final period.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Calgary has won three of the last four meetings. ... The Flames blocked a whopping 36 shots compared to just 13 for Nashville. ... The Predators dropped to 1-1-0 on their six-game road trip.
Top Game Performances
 
Nashville   Calgary
James Neal 2 Points John Gaudreau 2
James Neal 2 Goals John Gaudreau 1
Matt Cullen 1 Assists John Gaudreau 1
James Neal 1 Power Play Goals Sean Monahan 1
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Pekka Rinne .867 Save Percentage Jonas Hiller .903
Pekka Rinne 26 Saves Jonas Hiller 28
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
Nashville 31 3 1-1 0-2 4 39
Calgary 30 4 2-2 0-1 2 30
Upcoming Games
  • Calgary will play their next game on the road against Montreal. The Flames have a W/L % of .200 after a win and .714 after a loss.
  • Nashville will play their next game on the road against Vancouver. The Predators have a W/L % of .333 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.