National Hockey League
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Calgary 4, San Jose 1
When: 9:00 PM ET, Thursday, January 30, 2014
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Referees: Rob Martell, Francois St.Laurent
Linesmen: Darren Gibbs, Jay Sharrers
Attendance: 19289

Flames 4, Sharks 1: Jiri Hudler recorded a goal and an assist while captain Mark Giordano extended his point streak to eight games with a tally as host Calgary notched its season-high fourth straight win.

Lee Stempniak and rookie Sean Monahan also scored for the Flames, who improved to 4-0-0 on their five-game homestand. Mikael Backlund and defenseman Dennis Wideman each notched two assists while Karri Ramo made 27 saves as Calgary posted its first win in four meetings with San Jose this season.

Rookie Eriah Hayes netted his first NHL goal for the Sharks, who were shut out in their previous two contests. Alex Stalock turned aside 26 shots as San Jose was held to fewer than two tallies for the fourth time in five games.

Calgary opened the scoring midway through the first period on Stempniak's eighth goal of the season and second in 25 games. Backlund skated around defenseman Justin Braun in the right faceoff circle and unleashed a shot that Stalock stopped, but Stempniak backhanded the rebound past the netminder from the doorstep.

Giordano doubled the lead 3:38 into the second session with his ninth tally. Backlund's shot from just above the right circle went wide and caromed off the end boards to Giordano, who beat Stalock from the left circle for his 50th career goal.

Scoreless over their previous eight periods, the Sharks finally found the back of the net 36 seconds into the third thanks to a turnover by Chris Butler. The Calgary defenseman coughed up the puck in the slot and Tommy Wingels got it to Patrick Marleau, whose cross-slot pass set up Hayes on the right side for the tally.

Monahan gave Calgary some breathing room, scoring his team-leading 15th goal with seven minutes remaining. Defenseman Ladislav Smid's blast from above the left circle bounced off the end boards and right to Joe Colborne, whose pass was knocked in by Monahan from the doorstep.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Hudler sealed the win with 1:46 remaining as he scored Calgary's first empty-net goal of the season. The Flames were the last team in the NHL to tally into an empty net. ... Giordano is two goals away from matching his career high of 11 set in 82 games during the 2009-10 season. ... Colborne celebrated his 24th birthday with an assist. ... Flames C Mike Cammalleri originally was expected to play but instead missed his ninth straight contest due to a concussion.
Top Game Performances
 
San Jose   Calgary
Eriah Hayes 1 Points Jiri Hudler 2
Eriah Hayes 1 Goals Jiri Hudler 1
Patrick Marleau 1 Assists Mikael Backlund 2
N/A Power Play Goals N/A
N/A Short Handed Goals N/A
Alex Stalock .897 Save Percentage Karri Ramo .964
Alex Stalock 26 Saves Karri Ramo 27
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Shots Goals Power Play Penalty Kill Penalty Mins Face Offs Won
San Jose 28 1 0-1 2-2 4 31
Calgary 30 4 0-2 1-1 2 38
Upcoming Games
  • Calgary will play their next game at home against Minnesota. The Flames have a W/L % of .316 after a win and .400 after a loss.
  • San Jose will play their next game at home against Chicago. The Sharks have a W/L % of .657 after a win and .550 after a loss.