Calgary, AB – Curtis Glencross notched the second hat trick of his career to lead the Calgary Flames to a 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Friday.
Jiri Hudler had a goal and an assist while Mark Giordano and Blake Comeau each scored for the Flames, who have won their past two games. Miikka Kiprusoff gave up three goals on 20 shots.
"The two points are what we needed tonight and we were able to do that," said Glencross. "You know, the hat trick is nice, but the win is even better and this is a good step."
David Legwand, Mike Fisher and Gabriel Bourque scored for the Predators, who have dropped six of their last eight games.
For a second straight game Pekka Rinne was pulled from a start as he gave up goals on Calgary's first two shots of the game. Rinne was pulled in Thursday's 7-4 loss to Vancouver and his backup finished that contest as well as this one as Chris Mason allowed three goals on 19 shots.
The Flames didn't get their first shot of the game until the 6:20 mark of the first period, but they made it count as Giordano took a pass at the left circle, skated to the middle and snapped it in.
Calgary's second shot was as fruitful as its first as Comeau finished off a crisp passing play with a re-direct in front at the eight-minute mark, prompting a goaltending change.
Calgary made it a 3-0 game 3:38 into the second on the power play when Mike Cammalleri's hard pass from the right boards was re-directed in by Hudler down low.
The Preds got on the board less than two minutes later as Shea Weber's shot from the top of the right circle was tipped out of the air by Bourque while on the man advantage.
It was a 4-1 game just 1:14 into the third period as Lee Stempniak's wrist shot from the right wing went off the post then hit off the body of a charging Glencross and into the net.
Two minutes later, Nashville again made it a two-goal game as a slap shot at the right point by Roman Josi was tipped in by Fisher, but Calgary scored at the 5:32 mark as Glencross tipped in a Stempniak feed.
Nashville hung around and made it a 5-3 contest with 2:19 to play on Legwand's shot from the low left circle, but Glencross capped the hat trick and the win with an empty-netter.
"Things weren't going great for our line early in the game. We stuck with it, turned it around and ended up having a pretty good third period," Glencross said humbly.
Game Notes
Calgary plays in Dallas on Monday ... Phoenix plays in Edmonton on Sunday ... The Predators took three of four from Calgary last season ... Matt Stajan had three assists for Calgary ... Calgary went 1-for-3 on the power play while Nashville was 1-for-2.
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