Monahan's hat trick leads Flames over Flyers
PHILADELPHIA -- Sean Monahan recorded his first career hat trick and Michael Frolik netted the game winner 1:18 into overtime to give the Calgary Flames a 5-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon at the Wells Fargo Center.
Left winger Johnny Gaudreau added a goal and two assists to extend his points streak to a career-high nine games for the Flames (11-8-0).
Goaltender Mike Smith, who returned from an upper body injury, made 35 saves to earn his 10th win for the Flames, who have six wins in their last eight games.
Defensemen Brandon Manning and Ivan Provorov and forwards Sean Couturier and Nolan Patrick scored for the Flyers, who lost for the fourth straight time to fall to 8-8-4.
Flyers goaltender Brian Elliott, who started 45 games for the Flames last season, recorded 27 saves in the loss.
Through the opening two periods, the Flyers and Flames combined for 54 shots and eight goals, including a hat trick by Monahan, who scored all three of his goals on the power play.
The Flyers skated into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead on goals by Manning, Couturier and Provorov, but could not contain Monahan in the second period. The 23-year-old center scored on a deflection of a Kris Versteeg shot to draw the Flames within 3-2 at the 6:07 mark and tied the score at the 9:51 mark on a Gaudreau rebound.
The Flyers regained the lead on Patrick's second goal of the season with 5:58 remaining in the period. Monahan tied the score again on a shot from the slot with 5:04 remaining for his first career three-goal game. Gaudreau, who grew up in nearby Carneys Point, N.J., assisted on two of Monahan's goal and also scored on a first-period breakaway off a beautiful stretch pass from right winger Michael Ferland.
NOTES: Flames LW Matthew Tkachuk served his one-game suspension for his role in Wednesday night's mini-brawl against the Detroit Red Wings when he sticked Luke Witkowski in the back of the leg as Witkowski was being escorted off the ice by officials. ... Flyers D Radko Gudas waived his right to an in-person hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety for his slash to the neck of Winnipeg Jets forward Mathieu Perreault. Gudas was not in the lineup on Saturday and is scheduled to have a phone hearing on Sunday. ... The Flames entered the game ranked last in the NHL on the penalty kill at 70.8 percent. ... The Flyers are back in action Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks. ... The Flames continue their six-game road trip Monday night in Washington.