The tilt came two days after the Flames split a pair of split-squad games against the Canucks, losing 3-2 in overtine at the 'Dome and winning 4-3 in Victoria.
Netminder Jon Gillies, who saw his first game action of the pre-season Wednesday and finished with 16 saves on the night, was beat on the first San Jose shot of the game, a long-distance unassisted wrister from Lean Bergman that found its way through a maze of bodies and past the screened netminder at four minutes and one tick into the first period.
Not long after, fans were treated to another epidode of the long running Flames hit:The Johnny and Mony Show. The Dynamic Duo hooked up to get Calgary on the board at the 7:06 mark, Gaudreau gathering the puck up outside the blueline while skating backwards, before spinning and gaining the zone, sending a quick backhander to Monahan who shot high glove-side on Sharks netminder Antoine Bibeau.
It was Gaudreau's second point of the pre-season after scoring against the Canucks at the 'Dome Monday night. Dube - who scored a goal Monday in Victoria playing on a line with Quine and Matthew Phillips - picked up a helper skating on the top line Wednesday, with Elias Lindholm getting the night off.
Tweet from @NHLFlames: Clinical.#SJSvsCGY | #Flames pic.twitter.com/pumv7Km52K
Speaking of Quine, he put the Flames up 2-0 just 1:26 second later. Michael Stone held the puck at the line and snapped it toward the net, where it ricocheted off a few bodies and was picked up by Quine, who went backhand/forehand/backhand/forehand to tuck it past Bibeau.
Tweet from @NHLFlames: Red red Quine.#SJSvsCGY | #Flames pic.twitter.com/a0sXtu9y0y
Ivan Chekhovich knotted things at two in the second, tipping a Lukas Radil shot five-hole at 6:44.
Just over two minutes later, though, Ruzicka scored a beauty for the homeside, taking a feed from Martin Pospisil as he streaked down main street, flipping a backhand through the wickets to restore the two-goal lead.
Tweet from @NHLFlames: Soft hands from @ARuzicka21.#SJSvsCGY | #Flames pic.twitter.com/KeCj0DvXbU
The fans barely had time to sit back down before Ryan got the puck deep in the corner and fired it toward the net, with it deflecting off Tomas Hertl and in just 31 ticks after Ruzicka's marker.
Tweet from @NHLFlames: Just like he drew it up.#SJSvsCGY | #Flames pic.twitter.com/9LswhHF542
The goal judges continued to get a workout in the middle stanza, Manuel Wiederer making it 4-3 just over two minutes later.
Dube restored the two-goal cushion after being rewarded for some hard battling for the puck in the San Jose zone, swinging across the crease and tucking the puck around Bibeau at 13:35.
Tweet from @NHLFlames: Kid is on 🔥#SJSvsCGY | #Flames pic.twitter.com/UoOmnXIuKj
Wiederer made it a one-goal game again before the end of 40 minutes.
Less than a minute into the third period Stone nearly added another to the scoreboard, unloading a howitzer from the point that beat Bibeau but not the far post, clanging dead centre on the iron.
With the San Jose net empty and the Sharks looking to tie it up with less than a minute to play, Gaudreau flipped the puck in the air down the ice. Sharks defenceman Tony Sund raced back and gathered it up some 10 feet from the net but as he skated forward and went to turn up ice with it, it dribbled off his stick and into the net to ice it.
