Stone has 3rd-period hat trick in the Golden Knights’ 6-2 win over the Flames

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mark Stone had the fourth hat trick of his career and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Calgary Flames 6-2 on Thursday night.

Vegas (7-2-0) leads the NHL with 14 points.

Stone scored all three of his goals in the third period to put the game out of reach for the defending Western Conference champion. He’s tied for sixth in the NHL with six goals.

Jack Eichel, who ranks second in the NHL with 16 points, had a goal and two assists and has had at least a point in seven of Vegas’ first nine games.

Brett Howden and Braeden Bowman also scored for the Golden Knights. Ivan Barbashev finished with three assists and Carter Hart made 28 saves.

Jacob Middleton and Matt Coronato scored for the Flames and goaltender Dustin Wolf stopped 27 shots.

Calgary dropped to 1-6-0.

Howden opened the scoring just 26 seconds into the game. Eichel extended the lead midway through the first when he stole the puck in the neutral zone, skated in and beat Wolf for a short-handed goal.

Middleton scored his first goal as a Flame when he raced down the center of the ice, took a pass from Joel Farabee and sniped Hart to cut Vegas’ lead to one. It took only 48 seconds to make it a two-goal game again, as Bowman one-timed a pass from Barbashev to make it 3-1.

Coronato’s late goal provided the final margin.

UP NEXT

Flames: Host Carolina on Sunday night.

Golden Knights: Host Pittsburgh on Saturday night.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

W.g. Ramirez, The Associated Press