Huberdeau has 2 goals and 2 assists as Flames beat Flyers 6-3

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Jonathan Huberdeau had two goals and two assists and the Calgary Flames beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 to win their home-opener on Saturday night.

Nazem Kadri scored twice, including an empty-netter, and MacKenzie Weegar and Mikael Backlund also scored to hlep Calgary improve to 2-0-0. Dustin Wolf stopped 37 shots in his season debut.

Travis Konecny had two goals and Joel Farabee also scored for Philadelphia. Ivan Fedotov made 27 saves in his first start of the season.

The Flyers played their second road game in two nights to start their season after a 3-2 shootout win over the Canucks in Vancouver.

The Flames overcame a three-goal deficit to beat the Canucks 6-5 in overtime to start their season Wednesday.

Flyers: After beating Vancouver in shootout on Friday night, the Flyers got off to a slow start but scored twice in the second period and trailed by a goal heading into the third.

Flames: Wolf was the difference early stopping all 18 shots he faced in the first period. Calgary’s first goal that deflected off Huberdeau’s shoulder was lucky, but the forward set up Weegar perfectly for a one-timer and a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.

The Flames converted a 5-on-3 in the second period into Kadri’s power-play goal and a two-goal lead. Wolf reached back into his crease during a scramble to clear the puck and deny Konecny a potential tying goal midway through the third period.

Philadelphia’s power play, which was the worst in the NHL last season, was 1 for 4 on Saturday and 2 for 8 after two games. Calgary went 2 for 5 and is 4 for 9 after two games.

Flames play at Edmonton on Sunday, and the Flyers visit the Oilers on Tuesday.

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

Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf looks back as the Philadelphia Flyers score during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Ivan Fedotov, center left, blocks the net on Calgary Flames' Nazem Kadri (91) during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny, right, celebrates his goal with teammate Rasmus Ristolainen (55) as Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf looks away during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Philadelphia Flyers' Travis Konecny, left, tries to wrap the puck around the net as Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf tries to defend during third period NHL hockey action in Calgary, Alberta, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Philadelphia Flyers' Owen Tippett, bottom left, looks on as Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf, center, tracks the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Philadelphia Flyers' Scott Laughton, right, checks Calgary Flames' Adam Klapka during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary Alberta, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Philadelphia Flyers' Morgan Frost, center, stretches for the puck as Calgary Flames' Rasmus Andersson, right, checks him into goalie Dustin Wolf during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary Alberta, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Philadelphia Flyers' Scott Laughton (21) skates past as Calgary Flames' Jonathan Huberdeau, second left, celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary Alberta, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Ariana Grande took the New York 30 Rock stage at “Saturday Night Live” for the third time as host and found herself in familiar circumstances.

“The last time I hosted was in 2016, and we were right on the verge of electing our first female president,” the 31-year-old singer and actor said in her monologue. “So, I guess, second time’s the charm?"

Grande, who first hosted in 2014, was doing it for the first time without also serving as musical guest — a role that fell to Stevie Nicks — and promised not to sing, before breaking into a song.

The theme continued as she vowed during the tune not to do her signature impressions of Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Gwen Stefani, before throwing out a bit of each. She would do a much longer version of Celine Dion in a sketch later in the show.

Grande hosted in promotion of her movie musical “Wicked,” the “Wizard of Oz” prequel set to be released next month.

She said playing the good witch Glinda as she does in the film is the dream of every theater kid like her, after “losing their virginity.”

Grande's episode comes amid a ratings spike for the sketch institution, likely brought on by its 50th season, and election season. Last month's season premiere brought in the most viewers since 2020.

Just as in the first two episodes of the new season, Maya Rudolph played Vice President Kamala Harris in the night's cold open, leading a group of former cast members returning as guest stars, including Andy Samberg as Harris' husband Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden.

They teamed up for an election edition of “The Family Feud," taking on team Trump.

Kenan Thompson, the longest-tenured cast member in the show's history who began in 2003, reprised his long-running role as “Feud” host Steve Harvey and asked Rudolph-as-Harris about her recent media blitz.

“It’s been a hell of a week," she said. "I went on Howard Stern to reach the horny cab drivers, I went on ‘The View’ for the horny moms, and I also went on the podcast ‘Call Her Daddy’ because I have a message for young women: You need to go to the ballot box if you want the government out of your ballot box.”

Current cast member James Austin Johnson returned as Donald Trump, saying his opponent is "going to be horrible at this game. She’s a very low IQ person. The whole world is laughing at her because they don’t respect her.”

The 76-year-old Nicks was the “SNL” musical guest for the first time in more than 40 years. She opened with her brand new single, “The Lighthouse,” but the look of the performance was classic Stevie, with an abundance of rings and scarves and the singer draped in black. For her second song, she reached back with “Edge of Seventeen” from 1981.

Michael Keaton is set to host next week with musical guest Billie Eilish. John Mulaney and Chappell Roan are set for the following Saturday.

The onset of season 50 already has brought reflection and nostalgia in many forms, including “Saturday Night,” a movie comedy dramatizing the minutes before the first episode of the Lorne Michaels-helmed sketch institution on Oct. 11, 1975.

A three-hour primetime special on Feb. 16 is set to serve as the official 50th season celebration.

This image released by NBC shows cast member Bowen Yang, from left, host Ariana Grande, and musical guest Stevie Nicks during promos for the upcoming "Saturday Night Live" broadcast in New York on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (Rosalind O'Connor/NBC via AP)