Noah Hanifin delivered his best performance yet for the Calgary Flames, helping the team produce their most complete game of the season.
Hanifin contributed a goal and two assists as the Flames rallied to score four times in the second period, ultimately defeating the New Jersey Devils 5-2 on Thursday night.
This marked Hanifin’s first three-point game with Calgary and the fourth of his career. The standout performance came right after coach Bill Peters, frustrated by the team’s inconsistency, shook up all three defensive pairings.
Previously, Hanifin had always been paired with Travis Hamonic since joining the Flames two seasons ago. However, Hamonic was moved to the top pairing with Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano for this game. At the same time, Hanifin was partnered with Rasmus Andersson, who was promoted from the third pairing.
“Sometimes a change is good to shake things up and play with a new partner,” said the 22-year-old Hanifin. “Things were getting stale, so I think the changes helped tonight.”
Derek Ryan, Mikael Backlund, Sean Monahan, and Johnny Gaudreau also scored for Calgary. Elias Lindholm added an assist, extending his point streak to nine games.
“That was a big step for our team, playing a full, solid 60 minutes. I’m unsure if we’ve done that all season,” Backlund said.
Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist for New Jersey, while Nikita Gusev also found the back of the net.
The Flames secured their second straight win to open a four-game homestand, improving to 6-1-1 at home this season.
Calgary’s David Rittich made 21 saves, while New Jersey’s Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 33 shots.
Hanifin was instrumental in Calgary’s comeback after Gusev had given the Devils a 2-1 lead at 5:21 of the second period.
On the tying goal, Hanifin showcased his composure, carrying the puck from the blue line along the sideboards, around the back of the net, and then delivering a perfect centering pass to Monahan, who one-timed his fourth goal of the season. It was only Monahan’s second goal in 17 games, a rare dry spell for the usual 30-goal scorer.
Backlund’s go-ahead goal at 14:53 deflected off Devils captain Andy Greene, giving Calgary the lead.
The Flames’ power play then struck again with 14 seconds left in the second period, as Hanifin’s shot from the blue line beat Blackwood, who Milan Lucic screened.
Gaudreau sealed the game in the third period, slipping past Matt Tennyson and scoring with a smooth backhand shot.
“We had a solid first period, but in the second, we started playing too much east-west hockey instead of sticking to the north-south, direct style that’s been working for us,” said Greene. “We didn’t sustain enough pressure in the offensive zone and were often one-and-done.”
The decision to separate Hanifin and Hamonic even caused some light-hearted teasing in the Flames’ locker room.
“The guys were joking, calling us ‘The Inseparables,'” Hanifin laughed. “But I thought Travis was great with Giordano, and I think Rasmus and I had some good chemistry, too.”
Game Notes
- Hughes has nine points (four goals, five assists) in his last eight games.
- Flames D Michael Stone returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the last seven games.
Up Next
- Devils: Travel to Edmonton to face the Oilers on Friday night.
- Flames: Host the St. Louis Blues on Saturday night.
