Rory Kerins shines in NHL debut, helps Flames top Blackhawks

Jakob Pelletier had two goals and an assist and Rory Kerins earned two assists in his NHL debut to boost the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 victory against the host Chicago Blackhawks on Monday.

Yegor Sharangovich had a goal and an assist while Mikael Backlund and Jake Bean also scored for the Flames. Goaltender Dustin Wolf made 23 saves in improving to 3-0-0 against the Blackhawks this season.

Chicago lost for the ninth time in 11 games, falling by multiple goals for the seventh time during that span.

Calgary entered the game with just 24 first-period goals this season, fewest in the NHL. The Flames moved past that trend in a big way, racing to a 3-1 edge after 20 minutes of action behind a quick-developing connection between Kerins and Pelletier.

Kerins had a helper on Pelletier's goal 1:14 into the game to become the second Calgary player in the past 16 seasons to notch a point during his first NHL shift. He fed a drop pass to Pelletier, who beat Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek from the top of the right circle.

League history was next for Kerins 10:33 later. He picked up the secondary assist when Pelletier batted a rebound past Mrazek, making him just the 10th player to earn multiple assists in his debut period.

Louis Crevier put Chicago on the board in between the Pelletier tallies, scoring from just above the right circle off a pass from Lukas Reichel.

Backlund gave the Flames a 3-1 lead with a goal at 14:08 of the first, tipping in a Matt Coronato shot during a scramble in front of the net.

The Flames grabbed a three-goal advantage just 1:55 into the second period. Bean converted a chance in transition after Wolf denied Connor Bedard, hammering home a rebound off the end boards.

Bedard recorded a marker -- and a milestone -- at 11:29 of the second, scoring a power-play goal for his 100th career point.

Calgary restored its three-goal edge just over two minutes later on a short-handed goal from Sharangovich off a Seth Jones turnover.

Mrazek finished with 31 saves.

--Field Level Media