Ivan Barbashev had a goal and an assist, while Jack Eichel added four assists for the Golden Knights (4-0-2), who have won three in a row. Adin Hill made 26 saves.
“Starting the game with the lead was probably a huge help,” Barbashev said. “We haven’t done that probably all season long. Just probably being better defensively, breaking the pucks out. … It was better between the blue lines.”
Jonathan Huberdeau scored in his first game after missing the first five games with an undisclosed injury. Dustin Wolf made 14 saves before being replaced by Devin Cooley in the third period for the Flames (1-5-0), who have lost five in a row. Cooley made eight saves in relief.
“We’re a way better team than we’re playing right now,” Huberdeau said. “We’re just not playing for each other. We’re kind of trying to do things maybe individually. I just feel we need to come back, play as a team. That’s how we’re going to be. We know we’re not going to score five or six a game, so we’re going to be better defensively. Right now, it’s just too easy against us. We’re giving up. We’re leaving the best player on the other team open, like, wide open.
“So, just got to be harder on these guys and, you know, play more together.”
Marner gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead 46 seconds into the first period. Barbashev took the puck off a Kevin Bahl misplay off the end board and found Marner in the low slot.
“We just played them a few days ago,” Barbashev said. “We had to put some pressure on their defensemen and that’s what happened. Pressure got the puck back, and Mitch was all alone in front.”
Huberdeau tied the game 1-1 at 3:42 on the power play, poking in a loose puck in the crease after it hit Zach Whitecloud’s skate.
Tomas Hertl reclaimed the 2-1 lead at 5:39 with a one-timer in the low slot on a pass from Stone, who was below the goal line on the power play.
Stone pushed it to 3-1 at 15:03, tapping in an Eichel cross-ice feed into an open net.
“If we get away from our structure or our detail, or someone takes a shift off, like we saw in the first period, three goals end up in the back of the net,” Calgary coach Ryan Huska said. “We need to be more committed and more detailed for a full 60 minutes than what we’ve shown so far this year.”
Barbashev extended it to 4-1 at 3:57 of the second period, redirecting a Kaedan Korczak slapshot.
Marner scored his second of the game at 19:06 after dragging the puck to his backhand through the crease and lifting it over Wolf’s pad to bring the score to 5-1.
“It was pretty impressive,” Hill said of Marner’s second goal. “Not many guys have the hands to be able to pull that off at a game speed like that. Really a beautiful goal.”
