Maple Leafs 3, Flames 2
Phil Kessel scored twice, giving him five goals in two games, and the Toronto Maple Leafs responded from a seven-day break with a 3-2 win over the visiting Calgary Flames on Saturday night.
Kessel's second goal of the night put Toronto ahead for good just 41 seconds into the third period. The sniper completed a give-and-go with Cody Franson by banking the puck off Stempniak's skate and over the goal line.
James Reimer made 30 saves, including a sensational stop from in close in the final minute as the Maple Leafs won their third straight to open the season.
The Flames scored on their first shot of the game 4:18 into the first period. Lee Stempniak forced a turnover deep in Toronto territory, then came out from behind the net and fired a centering pass that Curtis Glencross redirected past Reimer.
Calgary doubled the lead just 1:22 later. After the Flames entered the zone on a play that appeared to be offside, Scott Hannan gathered in a pass from Niklas Hagman and skated in unchallenged to the left faceoff circle before wiring a wrist shot past Reimer.
Lupul got Toronto on the board at the 1:15 mark of the second period, his wrist shot zipping beneath Miikka Kiprusoff's glove hand after Reimer made a big pad save at the other end of the ice.
Kessel evened the score late in the second period, taking a long pass from Carl Gunnarson and fending off a Calgary defender before snapping a shot over Kiprusoff's left shoulder.