Sharangovich has 4 points as Flames beat Lightning 6-3

Yegor Sharangovich had two goals and two assists, Jacob Markstrom made 19 saves and the Calgary Flames won for the sixth time in seven games, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-3 on Thursday night.

Dryden Hunt, Jakob Pelletier, Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane also scored for the Flames.

“I think we just outworked them,” said Calgary centre Jonathan Huberdeau, who had two assists. “That’s what we do when we play well. I think that’s what we did tonight.”

Calgary played for the first time without defenseman Noah Hanifin, who was dealt Wednesday to Vegas. Defenseman Chris Tanev was traded to Dallas on Feb. 28. Markstrom has been the subject of trade speculation as Friday’s deal-making deadline nears.

“Obviously, we know there’s a lot of noise and stuff and we lost some key guys,” Huberdeau said. “It’s never fun to lose some guys. I think we’ll stick with it.

“We’re a team with a lot of character.”

Conor Sheary, Anthony Cirelli and Michael Eyssimont scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 18 shots as the Lightning dropped 1-4-1 in their last six home games.

“The product they put on the ice tonight for fans was inexcusable,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

Tampa Bay is tied for the first wild-card position in the Eastern Conference with Detroit, but the Red Wings have two games at hand.

Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov had an assist to give him 106 points. He trails NHL points leader Nathan Mackinnon by three.

Sharangovich scored twice and Pelletier had a goal during a 3:14 span as the Flames took a 4-1 lead with 10:35 left in the second. Sharangovich has six goals in seven games against Vasilevskiy.

Sharangovich’s four points were a career high and it was the Flames’ first four-point game since Tyler Toffoli did it on March 16, 2023.

Sharangovich’s first goal came off a nifty backhand pass through the crease from Huberdeau.

“I was surprised to see that puck go on through but it’s really nice pass by him,” Sharangovich said.

Pelletier snapped a 19-game goal drought, dating to Feb. 23, 2023, on his 23rd birthday.

Cirelli cut the deficit to 4-2 later in the second.

Calgary took a 5-2 lead when Coleman redirected Sharangovich’s shot early in the third.

Mangiapane had an empty-netter with just under eight minutes to play that made it 6-2.

Hunt opened the scoring 11:40 into the game.

Darren Raddysh got Tampa Bay’s first shot at 13:13 of the first before Sheary tied it at 1 with his first goal in 36 games 1:15 later.

Calgary centre Martin Pospisil served the first game of a three-game suspension for boarding Seattle defenceman Vince Dunn on Monday night.

Up next

Flames: Play on Saturday night at Florida.

Lightning: Host Philadelphia on Saturday night.

1:41 Trade rumours don’t douse Calgary Flames playoff optimism

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