Big Win? You Betcha!

They absolutely needed the two points.

And from the drop of the puck, the Flames were determined to get them, doubling up the Minnesota Wild 4-2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome Friday night.

Nazem Kadri's powerplay goal 7:23 into the second period stood up as the decider, while Mikael Backlund, Yegor Sharangovich and Ryan Lomberg also lit the lamp.

Dustin Wolf equaled Mike Vernon's franchise record by making his 51st start of the season as a rookie netminder, turning away 16 shots to earn his 27th victory of the campaign.

The locals came out of the gate with some assertiveness, firing 14 shots at Filip Gustavsson through the first 20 minutes of play.

Calgary’s first good chance came early, too. Some early pressure from the trio of Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau and Adam Klapka led to a chance for Klapka from just outside the blue paint. But despite looking the other way, Gustavsson lunged back with his left leg and got a skate blade on Klapka’s shot that appeared destined to ripple the twine.

Another wild sequence nearly resulted in a Flames opening goal with just over five minutes left. Sharangovich shot a one-timer from the right circle that caromed to the slot, then off Morgan Frost’s skate. The puck then rolled goalward - with a fair amount of pace - but Gustavsson again rescued his team by pulling it off the line with the blade of his goal stick.

Calgary’s hard work was finally rewarded at the 16:25 mark of the opening frame. Blake Coleman shot the puck on goal from just above the goal line along the left-wing boards. Gustavsson saved it, but the rebound spilled to Backlund, who chipped the disc over his countryman’s shoulder for his second goal in as many games.

The Flames kept up the pressure as period two began. The Backlund-Coleman-Matt Coronato line enjoying a spell of offensive zone time that led to three shots on target, including a Coleman tip that forced Gustavsson into a quick left pad save.

And line after line, that pressure held strong.

Sharangovich extended the lead to 2-0 at 5:31, getting the blade of his stick on Martin Pospisil’s shot from the right wing, solving Gustavsson with a deft deflection.

Less than two minutes later, Kadri cashed in on the powerplay, matching his career best with his 32nd goal of the campaign.

And it came in signature Kadri fashion. After his wingers helped him out on the face-off, he swung back to the right point, accepting a touch pass from Morgan Frost then waiting, picking his spot, and wiring a snap shot glove side.

But not all of Calgary’s good work came in the offensive zone. They flawlessly killed off back-to-back penalties late in the frame, including 18 seconds of 5-on-3 time.

Frost nearly made it 4-0 at the buzzer. Pospisil sprung him free down the right wing with a hard, one-time pass that zipped across the Flames logo in the middle of the 'Dome ice. Frost faked forehand, went to the backhand, but Gustavsson got just enough of the puck with his left shoulder to keep it out.

In period three, the locals revved up the Lomberghini.

Lomberg pounced on a Minnesota miscue at the Flames blue line, then was free and clear in on Gustavsson. He snapped a shot short-side on the Wild ‘keeper at the 7:20 mark to extend the lead to four, ending Gustavsson’s night in the process.

Lomberg nearly added a second - and a fifth on the night for the home side - when he strode down the wing and tested Marc-Andre Fleury with a low shot. But the future Hall-of-Famer had a bit of fun with it, stacking the pads old-school to make the stop.

Yakov Trenin and Gustav Nyquist added late tallies for Minnesota.

They Said It:

The Numbers Game:

Shots: CGY 32, MIN 18

Powerplay: CGY 1-2, MIN 0-2

Faceoffs: CGY 52.6%, MIN 47.4%

Blocked Shots: CGY 24, MIN 18

Hits: CGY 24, MIN 25

5-on-5 Scoring Chances: CGY 26, MIN 14

5-on-5 High-Danger Scoring Chances: CGY 8, MIN 5

Up Next:

The Flames host the Sharks Sunday evening at 6 p.m. MT before wrapping up their regular-season home schedule Tuesday against Vegas. GET TICKETS