CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly notched his fifth NHL hat trick, propelling the Nashville Predators to a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday for their second consecutive win. Justus Annunen showcased his skills with 31 saves, following Juuse Saros’ impressive 27-save shutout performance in Vancouver the night before. Rising star rookie center Fedor Svechkov also made his mark by scoring and adding an assist for his first multi-point game of his career, while Filip Forsberg contributed with two assists.
Calgary’s lone goal came from Mikael Backlund, with Dustin Wolf posting 24 saves in net. The Flames suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since November.
O’Reilly lit the lamp on the power play at 4:21 of the second period, sliding the puck past Wolf from close range after a setup by Svechkov from behind the net.
In notable player movements, 22-year-old Ozzy Wiesblatt returned to the Predators’ lineup after making his NHL debut in Vancouver the previous night. Wiesblatt, who grew up playing minor hockey in Calgary, received warm support from fans and loved ones with signs during warmups.
For the Flames, struggling winger Andrei Kuzmenko had a tough comeback to the lineup after being scratched in seven of the last eight games. Although he was a 39-goal scorer two seasons ago, Kuzmenko has only managed a single goal this season. His return was marred by two penalties leading to Predators’ power-play goals, allowing Nashville to build a 2-0 lead. One of Kuzmenko’s infractions was for playing with a broken stick.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred with Calgary trailing 1-0, as a defensive miscue in the Flames’ zone granted Jonathan Huberdeau a clear breakaway opportunity. However, Annunen stood tall in net, denying Calgary’s leading goal scorer. Shortly thereafter, O’Reilly extended Nashville’s lead to 2-0.
Calgary’s penalty-killing struggles continued, as they conceded a power-play goal for the sixth consecutive game.
Looking ahead, both teams will hit the road for their next games on Tuesday night. The Predators are set to take on the Winnipeg Jets, while the Flames will visit the Anaheim Ducks.
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