Nicolas Hague breaks tie with 28 seconds left, Predators beat Flames 4-3

By Canadian Press on January 3, 2026.

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Nicolas Hague broke a tie with 28 seconds left, Erik Haula scored twice in a 1:33 span in his 800th NHL game and the Nashville Predators beat the Calgary Flames 4-3 on Saturday night.

The winner came on a slap shot from the blue line that deflected off Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar while he was battling in front with Cole Smith.

Michael Bunting had a goal and two assists for Nashville. Steven Stamkos added two assists, and Juuse Saros made 20 saves. The Predators improved to 19-18-4.

Yan Kuznetsov, Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman scored for the Flames, and Dustin Wolf stopped 32 shots. The Flames dropped to 18-19-4. They had won five in a row at home.

Nashville took a 3-2 lead at 4:08 of the second, capitalizing on a miscue by Wolf. Out of the net to play the puck along the end boards, he attempted to shoot the puck up the boards and it went right onto the tape of Bunting, who fired a shot into the vacated net.

Coleman tied it with 7:11 left in the third.

Up next

Predators: At Edmonton on Tuesday night to finish a stretch of seven straight on the road.

Flames: Host Seattle on Monday night to finish a five-game homestand.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/NHL

The Associated Press