Game Recap: Calgary drops a sloppy one to the Wild 6-2.

Niklas Backstrom had a home coming and David Jones was facing the Flames for the first time since being traded to Minnesota. The first period wasn't kind to either of them as Jones took a stick to the face and Backstrom was lit up for three goals.....all belonging to Zach Parise. Parise tucked one over Backstrom's left shoulder, one through his five hole and the other on a tip in to notch his 5th career hat trick. Calgary grabbed their only goal of the period on a power play as Johnny Gaudreau grabbed a rebound off the boards and snuck one in to cut the lead to 2-1. That was quickly erased by Parise's third goal of the period making the score 3-1 at the end of the first.

Jakub Nakladal opened the scoring in the second with an absolute rocket from just inside the blue line that beat Dubnyk blocker side to make the score 3-2. Shortly after Nakladal's marker, Minnesota went on the power play and like the sun rising and setting, they took advantage. Spurgeon picked up a rolling puck out front and scored to make it 4-2. Minnesota had one more good scoring chance as David Jones fed Granlund out front with Backstrom sprawling way out of position, but Granlund missed the open net and period ended with the score 4-2.

The third period was fairly uneventful for a while until Spurgeon and Minnesota attacked the Calgary penalty kill with a power play goal at 6:18 to make it 5-2. This was his second PP goal and the team's third of the game when playing man up.  Nino Niederreiter would round out the scoring when he put one past Backstrom to make it 6-2. The Flames had some decent power play opportunities, but they couldn't make anything of it.

Calgary made too many mistakes with bad penalties and Niklas Backstrom didn't help by having a terrible game between the pipes. The Flames came out flat and not even Johnny Gaudreau's goal to get the team to 2-1 could jump start the Flames. The Flames next play at home on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Flame of the Game:

Jakub Nakladal, 1 goal, an even 0 and 18:36 of ice time.