MacKenzie Weegar secured his first career hat trick, propelling the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 victory against the New York Islanders on Saturday. Weegar’s stellar performance led the Flames to extend their winning streak to four games, a season-high for the team. Jonathan Huberdeau and Blake Coleman also contributed goals, further solidifying Calgary’s dominance on the ice. Jacob Markstrom’s remarkable goaltending, with 35 saves and an assist, played a pivotal role in securing the win for the Flames. The game marked the third in a four-game road trip for Calgary following the NHL All-Star break.Despite Semyon Varlamov’s 600th NHL appearance and his 19 saves for the Islanders, their brief two-game winning streak came to an end. Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau managed to find the net for New York, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Calgary’s offensive prowess.
Weegar wasted no time, opening the scoring just 3:47 into the first period with a well-placed wrist shot past Varlamov. The defenseman continued his impressive performance, netting his second goal of the night at 15:16 of the second period, extending Calgary’s lead to 3-0. The Islanders struggled to contain Weegar, allowing him to capitalize on an uncontested one-timer from the high slot, assisted by Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr.Nelson provided a glimmer of hope for the Islanders early in the third period, narrowing the gap to two goals with a well-executed shot. However, Huberdeau quickly responded, scoring a power-play goal midway through the period to restore Calgary’s two-goal advantage. Blake Coleman sealed the deal for the Flames with an empty-net goal at 15:59 of the third period, extending their lead to 4-1.Pageau managed to find the back of the net for the Islanders at 17:28 of the third period, but it was too little, too late. Weegar put the finishing touches on his outstanding performance with an empty-net goal in the final minute of regulation, completing his hat trick and securing the win for Calgary.Looking ahead, the Flames will face off against the New York Rangers on Monday, while the Islanders will host the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.
