Flames rally in big third period to top Oilers 4-2

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) Chalk up yet another third period comeback for the Calgary Flames.

Lance Bouma scored two of Calgary's four goals in the final period and the Flames stormed back for a 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.

''We just knew going into that third period that our third is always our best, and we had a chance to win it,'' Bouma said. ''We knew those were two big points.''

Calgary leads the NHL with 63 third-period goals, which has helped the team win a league-high nine games when trailing after two periods (9-15-1).

''We've done it a lot this year,'' Bouma said, ''and we definitely have the belief in here going into the third period, whether we're down by three or down by two, that we can come back in the game.''

Trailing 2-0, Paul Byron got the comeback started by deflecting in Mason Raymond's shot 2:56 in.

Bouma tied it just over three minutes later after snapping a shot through the pads of Ben Scrivens.

''It's always nice to contribute whenever you can,'' Bouma said. ''Obviously, right now, we're rolling and it's been a fun go here lately. We just have to keep it going.''

The go-ahead goal came 2:33 after that on a power play when Sean Monahan tried to center a pass, but the puck instead deflected past Scrivens off the skate of Oilers defenseman Keith Aulie.

It was the team-leading 16th goal for the 20-year-old second-year player, who also has four game-winning goals.

Bouma wrapped up the barrage converting a 2-on-1 pass from Mikael Backlund for his first career two-goal game at 16:27.

''Guys never quit,'' Calgary coach Bob Hartley said. ''As soon as we got one, there was electricity on the bench and guys were moving. Guys show confidence. We're not scared of being down in the score. It doesn't rattle us. We find a way to get those big wins.''

Jordan Eberle and Benoit Pouliot scored for Edmonton, which had won three of its previous four.

''It was simple mistakes,'' Eberle said. ''We shot ourselves in the foot tonight.''

The Oilers remained second-to-last in the NHL's overall standings, four points ahead of Buffalo.

''We weren't ready to play in the third,'' Scrivens said. ''How many times do we have to go through it before we learn our lesson? Hopefully it's this one.''

Jonas Hiller had 17 stops for Calgary to improve his record to 15-14-2, while Scrivens had 29 saves for Edmonton, falling to 9-17-7.

Edmonton opened the scoring at 2:43 on its second shot of the game. Off a faceoff in the Flames end, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins outworked Matt Stajan for the puck, knocking it into the slot, where Eberle put a quick shot past Hiller.

It was the fifth game in a row that Calgary has given up the first goal.

Eberle was the playmaker on the second goal. With the puck along the end boards, he drew Dennis Wideman toward him, then sent the puck to Pouliot, who was left uncovered in front and he quickly fired a high shot over Hiller for his 11th goal.

Eberle has 11 points- including seven goals - in his last 13 games dating to Dec. 31.

Pouliot has eight goals in his last dozen games since returning from a broken foot, which sidelined him for 18 games.

NOTES: The Flames had gone 105:28 without a goal until Byron scored. ... The Oilers' last three-game road winning streak was March 23 to April 1, 2012. ... Jiri Hudler (illness), tied for the Flames lead in points, did not play. In his spot, 25-year-old David Wolf made his NHL debut. However, Wolf (lower body) left in the third period and didn't return. ... Aulie played for the first time since taking a match penalty on New Year's Eve for a hit on Flames C Matt Stajan. Suspended two games, he had been a healthy scratch since but played Saturday for injured D Nikita Nikitin (shoulder).