By The Canadian Press

Hague burns Flames with late goal as Predators net 4-3 victory

Jan 3, 2026 | 7:18 PM

CALGARY — Michael Bunting had a goal and three assists on Saturday to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames.

Erik Haula, playing in his 800th career NHL game, scored twice for Nashville (19-18-4), while Nicolas Hague scored the game-winner with 28 seconds remaining in the third period. Steven Stamkos chipped in with a pair of assists.

Yan Kuznetsov, Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman, with his team-leading 13th goal, also scored for the Flames (18-19-4), who had their five-game home winning streak halted.

Juuse Saros, who had 20 stops, recorded the win to improve to 16-13-3.

Dustin Wolf had 32 saves in a losing cause. He falls to 14-15-2.

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Tied 2-2, Nashville took the lead at 4:08 of the second capitalizing on a miscue by Wolf.

Out of his net to play the puck along the end boards, his attempt to shoot the puck up the boards went right onto the tape of Bunting, who promptly fired his 11th goal of the season into the vacated net.

It remained 3-2 for the visitors until Coleman tied it at 12:49 of the third.

TAKEAWAYS

Predators: Bunting has been a Flames killer in leading Nashville to a sweep of the three-game season series piling up nine points (three goals, six assists). Haula’s two goals in 1:33 were the fastest two goals by a Nashville skater since Luke Evangelista scored goals 40 seconds apart on March 21, 2023.

Flames: It was an eventful evening for John Beecher, who entered the night with no goals and two assists in 18 games after being claimed on waivers from Boston on Nov. 18. In the first period, he got in a skirmish with Michael McCarron in which he punched him in the face at the end of it, earning him a roughing minor and a 10-minute misconduct. He then injured himself in a second-period fight with Hague, exiting the game with an upper-body injury.

KEY MOMENT

The winning goal at 19:32 came on a slap shot from the blue line that deflected off Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar while he was battling in front with Cole Smith.

KEY STAT

Calgary’s five-game winning streak at the Scotiabank Saddledome is snapped and the Flames lost in regulation on home ice for just the second time in their last 13 (10-2-1).

UP NEXT

Predators: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday.

Flames: Host the Seattle Kraken on Monday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 3, 2026.

Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press