In Calgary, the Flames and Winnipeg Jets exchanged goals through most of the game for a 3-3 tie in the third before Elias Lindholm scored with 92 seconds left in the third in a 5-3 win for the Flames on Wednesday night.
“I think a lot of people could have put that one in, but it was a great pass and I just have to put that one high and it worked,” Lindholm said.
Jacob Markstrom made 34 saves in the win.
Andrew Mangiapane hit for a double in the Flames’ win.
“It was a big game for us. Big two points,” Mangiapane said. “I think there was good resiliency to come back and not get away from the game there. It was a big win for us as a group. Just to kick off the season with a win is huge.”
Mangiapane opened the scoring in the first period for a 1-0 lead to Calgary, but Kyle Connor scored in the same frame for a 1-1 tie.
“He’s a fantastic hockey player,” Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele said. “He’s a guy I get to see firsthand in the summer how much preparation goes in and how hard he works. He puts in so much hard work. It’s no shock he does that year after year. He’s an amazing player and a big part of this team.”
The Flames grabbed a 2-1 lead in the first off a strike by MacKenzie Weegar.
Alex Iafallo scored at 11:19 in the second to knot the game, again, at 2-2.
Calgary reclaimed the lead at 13:49 of the second on a shorthanded marker from Rasmus Andersson.
Scheifele tied it late in the third at 3-3 before Lindholm’s winner.
“I thought we played a really solid game,” Scheifele said. “Markstrom made some pretty unbelievable saves. He held them in there. But a lot of good things. I think we’ve got to be positive here. It’s the first game, and first game really with our entire lineup. We played a solid game. We can’t dwell on the result too much, but keep building.”
Mangiapane added an empty-net strike for the 5-3 win.
“‘Marky’ (Markstrom) was awesome,” Mangiapane said. “He’s a big part of the team. When you see him dialed in like that, it’s awesome to see. I think shots were probably 12-2 to start the game or something like that and he was standing on his head to keep us in it throughout the whole game. It was a big game for him and we’re going to need a lot more of those from him.”
Connor Hellebuyck made 17 saves in the loss.
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