Flames. Hamilton burn backup Senators' goalie for 5-2 win
CALGARY, Alberta -- Defenseman Dougie Hamilton had two goals and an assist to lead the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday.
Centers Sam Bennett and Sean Monahan and right winger Michael Frolik also scored for the Flames (4-4-1), while goaltender Brian Elliott made 31 saves to win his third straight game after losing three in a row to start the season.
Former Senators left winger Alex Chiasson, who Calgary acquired from Ottawa in exchange for defenseman Patrick Sieloff on June 27, had two assists for the Flames. Left winger Johnny Gaudreau also set up a pair of goals.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson and center Kyle Turris scored for the Senators (4-3-0).
Already without starting goaltender Craig Anderson, the Senators lost back-up netminder Andrew Hammond to a lower-body injury in the first period.
A day after the Senators granted Anderson an indefinite leave of absence on Thursday to deal with a personal matter at home, Hammond started in net for Ottawa.
Hammond stopped three of four shots he faced in the opening period against the Flames, but he was on the bench to start the second period. Rookie goalie Chris Driedger, who was recalled from the AHL's Binghamton Senators on Thursday, was between the pipes.
Driedger, who stopped 11 of 15 shots he faced, wound up taking the loss.
Leading 3-2 after two periods, the Flames added a pair of insurance markers by Monahan and Frolik in the third. Monahan one-timed a pass from Gaudreau past Driedger at 9:33 before Frolik converted a feed from center Mikael Backlund at 12:19.
NOTES: Ottawa announced on Thursday that G Craig Anderson has taken an indefinite leave of absence to deal with a personal matter at home and recalled G Chris Driedger from the AHL's Binghamton Senators. Driedger, Ottawa's third-round pick (76th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft, starred for the WHL's Calgary Hitmen for three seasons from 2011-12 to 2013-14. ... Flames D Jyrki Jokipakka was inserted back into the Calgary lineup, while D Nicklas Grossmann, D Brett Kulak and C Freddie Hamilton sat out as healthy scratches. ... Senators D Thomas Chabot was a healthy scratch for the sixth time in seven games. ... Now an associate coach for the Flames, Dave Cameron spent the previous five seasons behind the bench with the Senators, first as an assistant and then as head coach. He was fired at the end of last season and replaced by Guy Boucher.