New Jersey Devils head coach Peter DeBoer warned his team that playing on the road against Western Conference teams wouldn't be easy.
Apparently, none of them were listening.
The Calgary Flames scored six goals, including four in the first period, to defeat the Devils, 6-3, tonight at Scotiabank Saddledome.
The loss ended the Devils two game win streak. They've now lost five straight road games to Western Conference opponents. New Jersey has been outscored, 25-15, during that streak.
Jay Bouwmeester opened the scoring for Calgary at the 5:54 mark of the first period. Jarome Iginla carried the puck into the Devils zone, stopping in the right circle. He sent a pass to Bouwmeester at the point, and the defenseman beat Martin Brodeur with a shot through traffic for his second goal of the season.
Calgary would double the lead just 1:38 after their first score. Defenseman Cory Sarich, playing in his 500th game, fired a slapshot from the right circle that beat Brodeur low to the stick side. It was Sarich's first goal of the season, and would end Brodeur's night.
Brodeur finished with just three saves on five shots in 7:32.
Johan Hedberg wouldn't do much better, allowing goals on two of the first three shots he faced.
Curtis Glencross extended the lead to 3-0 at 13:12 of the opening period. Iginla sent a pass to Ollie Jokinen, who beat Henrik Tallinder. He sent a pass cross-ice to Glencross, who backhanded the puck on net. It caromed off Hedberg's right pad and into the net for Glencross' 18th goal of the season.
Rookie TJ Brodie would cap the first period scoring, stretching the lead to 4-0 at 16:38. The Flames, on the powerplay, took just six seconds to convert the opportunity. Brodie took the puck in the right circle and fired a shot over the Hedberg's right shoulder for his second goal of the season.
New Jersey would climb back into the game, with Ilya Kovalchuk and Adam Henrique scoring second period goals. But Lee Stempniak would respond, and the Flames entered the third period with a three goal lead.
Patrik Elias closed the deficit to 5-3 with a powerplay goal at 6:04 of the final period. Kovalchuk fed Elias in the left circle, and the Devils' center lifted a shot past Mikka Kiprusoff for his 15th goal of the season.
Iginla would respond at the 8:49 mark, stretching the lead to an insurmountable 6-3. The Flames' captain found a loose puck in the slot, and avoided a check from David Clarkson. He quickly fired a wrist shot past Hedberg for his second goal of the game.
Kiprusoff finished with 35 saves in his 19th win of the season. Hedberg stopped just five of nine shots.
The Devils gave up six goals for the second time in less than a week. The Boston Bruins hung six on New Jersey in a 6-1 win at the Prudential Center January 3.
The Flames victory over New Jersey was only their second in the last five meetings. This was the only game between the two teams this season.