The Calgary Flames opened up the 2016 Young Stars Classic with a decisive 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
Matthew Phillips, Andrew Mangiapane, Ryan Lomberg, and Austin Carroll scored and goaltender Jon Gillies made 22 saves in the Flames' first outing at the annual rookie tournament.
Here are CalgaryFlames.com's three stars from the victory:
FIRST STAR - ANDREW MANGIAPANE
The chippy winger did not skate at the Flames development camp this past July as he was recovering from a groin injury but he didn't look like he had any rust in his game on Friday night. Starting on a line with Lomberg and Eetu Tuulola, Mangiapane immediately established his presence in the game by being a constant threat in the offensive zone. If he wasn't cycling the puck around the Jets' zone, he was pressuring any Winnipeg skater that had possession.
He scored the game-winner at the 18:44 mark of the second period, snapping a shot over the glove of the Winnipeg goaltender from the top of the slot. He also picked up an assist on Lomberg's third period tally. He finished off the night with a plus-three rating and three shots on net.
SECOND STAR - RYAN LOMBERG
Between his aggressive, in-your-face play and his chirping, the pesky centre got under the Jets skin all night. But Lomberg, who signed an AHL deal with the Stockton Heat earlier this month, isn't just a pest. He was tasked with centering the second line and chipped in offensively with a goal in the third period. He was a plus-two in the victory and ended up with two shots on net.
Lomberg's night came to a premature close when he was handed a 10-minute misconduct late in the third period. The infraction came as the result of the melee he Matthew Tkachuk, Kenney Morrison, Austin Carroll, and Keegan Kanzig were involved in after a whistle.
THIRD STAR - MATTHEW TKACHUK
The sixth overall pick in this year's draft made quite the impression on Flames fans in his first game at the tournament. Tkachuk's physicality was on display all evening, crashing and banging with any Jets skater who got in his way, and he was nearly impossible to contain when he was charging through the offensive zone. While he was held pointless in the game, he was credited with three shots and created a handful of quality scoring chances.
Tkachuk earned 16 PIM in his Young Stars debut, including a 10-minute misconduct from a late-game scrum.
