John Beecher made a memorable mark for Calgary, netting his first two goals for the Flames in a thrilling 5-4 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night. This game also saw Mikael Backlund notch his 600th career NHL point with a crucial third-period goal.
Former Devils players Kevin Bahl and Yegor Sharangovich added to Calgary's tally. Meanwhile, Dustin Wolf stood tall in the net with 26 saves, and the Flames' defense was relentless, blocking 21 shots, helping them secure only their second win in the last eight games.
On the Devils' side, Luke Hughes was a standout with a goal and an assist, while Jack Hughes, Maxim Tsyplakov, and Simon Nemec each found the back of the net. Jacob Markstrom contributed with 24 saves and even added an assist.
Beecher, returning to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for two games, made an immediate impact. He scored his first career short-handed goal less than a minute into the second period. With Calgary leading 2-1, Beecher swiped the puck from Jack Hughes in the neutral zone and, after his initial shot was stopped by Markstrom, banked in the rebound.
The Devils quickly responded when Nemec cut Calgary's lead to 3-2 with a power-play goal. However, Sharangovich, who played his first 205 games with the Devils before being traded to Calgary in 2023, extended the Flames' lead to 4-2 with a slick backhand shot on a two-on-one break.
Earlier, Beecher had capitalized on another two-on-one opportunity, while Bahl opened the scoring at 14:07 in the first period, netting one against Markstrom, who was part of the trade that brought Bahl to Calgary on June 19, 2024.
Maxim Tsyplakov then answered for the Devils at 16:14, scoring his first goal in 11 games since joining New Jersey on January 27, trimming Calgary's lead to 2-1.
The Flames, who had been struggling on the road with four straight losses, found a much-needed victory in this tightly contested matchup.
Up next, the Flames will look to build on this momentum as they continue their road trip.