Flames Hold Off Maple Leafs to Extend Winning Streak to Four Games

The Calgary Flames extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.Matvei Gridin scored twice and added an assist, while Mikael Backlund scored a goal in his return to the lineup. Devin Cooley made his fourth consecutive start and picked up his fourth straight win as Calgary continued to build momentum after a difficult start to the season.Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn ImagesGridin opened the scoring at 10:06 of the first period, taking a pass from Martin Pospisil on the rush before beating Sergei Bobrovsky upstairs on the short side.Less than two minutes later, Backlund doubled the lead. Matt Coronato forced a turnover and faked a shot, freezing Bobrovsky before passing to the Flames captain, who fired the puck upstairs to make it 2-0.Cooley nearly gave Toronto an opportunity after playing the puck outside the trapezoid, resulting in a Maple Leafs power play. Calgary killed off the penalty, with Cooley making a highlight-reel pad save to preserve the lead.Tempers flared late in the opening period as Jake Middleton and Zach MacEwen dropped the gloves, resulting in a Flames power play that carried into the second.Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn ImagesCalgary capitalized just 25 seconds into the middle frame. Zayne Parekh sent a stretch pass to Gridin, who carried the puck across the blue line and fired a hard shot over Bobrovsky for his second goal of the night and a 3-0 Flames lead.Toronto responded at 12:54 when Troy Stecher sent a slap pass toward the net, allowing Easton Cowan to chip the puck past Cooley and cut the deficit to 3-1.The Maple Leafs made it a one-goal game at 6:06 of the third period. William Nylander collected a loose puck in front and buried it past Cooley, while Auston Matthews recorded his 800th career NHL point with an assist.Joel Farabee and Pospisil found the empty net late in the game to seal the 5-2 victory.Three Takeaways1. Backlund ties Gaudreau on the franchise scoring listBacklund's goal brought him to 609 career points with Calgary, tying Johnny Gaudreau on the franchise's all-time scoring list. The veteran made an immediate impact in his return to the lineup.2. Gridin is heating upGridin recorded his first multi-goal performance of the season, showcasing his shot with two finishes over Bobrovsky. He also celebrated his second goal with the gritty dance, showing the confidence and enjoyment coming through in his game. He now has five points (two goals, three assists) over his last four games.3. Calgary finally gets one against TorontoThe Flames snapped an eight-game losing streak against the Maple Leafs, earning their first win over Toronto since Feb. 10, 2022. The victory extends Calgary's winning streak to four games and gives the team another boost as it looks to build on its recent turnaround.