Alex DeBrincat scored twice in a three-point game as the visiting Detroit Red Wings staked a four-goal lead and held on for a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Dylan Larkin also scored for the Red Wings, who have won three consecutive games.
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Patrick Kane and Andrew Copp both posted a pair of assists for Detroit at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta.
Goaltender John Gibson, making his third straight start, made 34 saves for the Red Wings, who are on a 4-0-2 run and have won the last seven meetings against Calgary. The win vaulted the Wings (17-11-3) back into first place in the Atlantic Division, a point ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins, who each have 36 points. Next up, the Wings remain in Alberta, Canada, with a matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday (9 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit).
Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex Debrincat (93) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, on Wednesday, Dec. 10.
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Joel Farabee, Matt Coronato and MacKenzie Weegar scored for the Flames, who saw their three-game winning streak end in the finale of a four-game homestand.
Nazem Kadri netted two assists and goalie Devin Cooley stopped 22 shots.
The Red Wings claimed a 2-0 lead before the hosts even fired a shot on goal, starting with DeBrincat’s tally 62 seconds into the affair. During what appeared to be a harmless rush into the Calgary zone, Kane slipped a cross-ice pass to DeBrincat in the left circle and he converted a one-timer.
DeBrincat is on a five-game point streak in which he has collected four goals and four assists. Kane’s pair of helpers brought him to 1,364 points in his career, 11 shy of passing former Red Wing Mike Modano for the most by a U.S.-born player. Kane remained at 497 goals, three short of becoming the fifth U.S.-born player with 500 tallies. (The others? Joe Mullen, Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk and Modano.)
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Sandin-Pellikka doubled the lead with a similar goal. This time DeBrincat sent a cross-ice pass for his teammate to bury with a quick release. Sandin- Pellikka improved his career-best point streak to four games (one goal, four assists).
DeBrincat extended the lead at 7:41 of the second period thanks to a Calgary turnover. Copp took advantage of the giveaway and fed a pass to the slot, where DeBrincat sent a wrist shot off the post and in.
Then Larkin made it a four-goal game when he elected to shoot from the slot while on a 2-on-1 rush 88 seconds later.
The Flames finally found the momentum in the final frame with a comeback attempt that fell just short.
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Farabee put the hosts on the board at 8:02 of the third period by converting on a penalty shot awarded when he was slashed while on a short-handed breakaway.
Coronato made it a 4-2 game 65 seconds later when he finished an odd-man rush with a shot set up by Kadri.
Weegar pulled Calgary within one at 14:40 of the frame by unloading a one- timer from the point that rang off the iron and into the net, but despite a frantic push, the Flames could not find the equalizer.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings take 3rd straight with 4-3 win over Calgary Flames