Huberdeau and Kadri's 3-point games power the Flames to a 5-2 win over Sabres

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Mikael Backlund scores goal for Flames

Mikael Backlund nets goal for Flames

Jan 24, 2026, 05:24 am

CALGARY, Alberta -- — Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and two assists to lead the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.

Nazem Kadri added a goal and two assists, and Jakob Pelletier had a goal and an assist for Calgary. Yegor Sharangovich and Mikael Backlund added empty-net goals. Rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf had 32 saves and won for the fifth time in six starts to improve to 17-7-2 on the season.

The Flames hold the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues.

Tage Thompson and Mattias Samuelsson scored for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukonen made 21 saves and slipped to 15-15-4.

The teams were tied at 2 in the third period before Pelletier gave Calgary the lead at 2:29 on a deflection of a point shot by Brayden Pachal.

Takeaways

Sabres: Thompson has scored in three consecutive games and leads the Sabres with 22 goals. He has recorded at least one point in his last seven games against Calgary.

Flames: Calgary entered the game with the 30th-ranked penalty kill in the league, but went 6 for 6 against the Sabres.

Key moment

As the Sabres pressed for the tying goal, Wolf made a pair of saves while the Flames were short-handed in the third period. He got across the crease to stop JJ Peterka’s one-timer before thwarting Alex Tuch from the top of the crease.

Key stat

Huberdeau, whose short-handed goal was the only score in the opening 20 minutes, is second in the NHL in first goals, with six. Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl has seven.

Up next

The Sabres close out a four-game trip in Edmonton on Saturday. The Flames are at Minnesota on Saturday.

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