Mackenzie Vigar's hat trick leads Calgary Flames to victory over New York Islanders | World news

NEW DELHI: Mackenzie Vigar had a historic night with his first career hat trick as the Calgary Flames extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders in Elmont, New York.

Wigar's three goals showcased his offensive prowess on the blue line, cementing his status as one of the top scoring defensemen in the NHL this season. With 15 goals to his name, Vigar leads all defensemen in scoring, his previous career high was eight goals two seasons ago with the Florida Panthers.


Jonathan Huberdeau and Blake Coleman joined Vigar on offense, each with a goal and an assist to power the Flames' offense. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom was also instrumental in the win, making 35 saves, including 16 in the third period, along with an assist, showing his versatility between the pipes.

Despite a strong start by the Islanders, early in the first period, Vigar took advantage of defensive lapses to beat goalkeeper Semen Varlamov with a well-placed shot to open the scoring. Huberdeau extended Calgary's lead with a power-play goal in the second period before Vigar scored his second of the game to put the Flames firmly in control with a 3-0 advantage.

Brock Nelson got the Islanders on the board early in the third period, but the Flames responded quickly with goals from Coleman and Vigar to seal the victory with a pair of empty netters. Jean-Gabriel Pagou's late goal for the Isles was just consolation in the face of Calgary's dominant play.

The win capped a successful outing for the Flames, who continue their impressive run under head coach Patrick Roy, who has improved to 3-3-1 since being behind the bench. With momentum on their side, Calgary looks poised to maintain their strong form as they push toward the playoffs.

(Reuters information)