Flames 6, Maple Leafs 3
Rookie Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Jiri Hudler each had three points as host Calgary used a four-goal first period to breeze past Toronto and into second place in the Pacific Division.
Monahan scored twice while Gaudreau, Hudler and Mikael Backlund also tallied and Drew Shore added the first of his NHL career for the Flames, who moved past the idle Vancouver Canucks in the crowded Pacific. Defenseman T.J. Brodie added a pair of assists while Jonas Hiller made 25 saves.
David Booth scored twice for the Maple Leafs, who are 8-27-3 in their last 38 games. Richard Panik added a first-period goal while James Reimer stopped 22 shots in the loss.
Gaudreau opened the scoring at 5:06, sweeping a loose puck past a Toronto defender and into a partially open net after Hudler's initial shot attempt was blocked. Shore doubled the lead just over two minutes later on a conversion of a Brodie attempt before the Leafs responded, as defenseman Morgan Rielly's point shot glanced off Panik and snuck past Hiller at 8:47.
Backlund restored the two-goal advantage at 11:40 with Lance Bouma earning a kneeing major, and Monahan made it 4-1 on the same disadvantage after breaking in alone and beating Reimer on the stick side at 14:38. Monahan made it 5-1 at 1:29 of the second period with a wrist shot past Reimer's glove, Hudler added to the onslaught at 8:16 to counter Booth's goal nearly 3 1/2 minutes earlier and the Flames cruised from there.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Booth's second goal of the night came just 29 seconds into third period and was upheld by video review after caroming off the camera inside the net. ... Monahan has six goals and three assists in his last nine games. ... Toronto has surrendered 12 short-handed goals on the season after allowing 13 all of last season. ... Gaudreau (53 points) moved into a tie for the rookie scoring lead with Nashville's Filip Forsberg.