Calgary Flames' Johnny Gaudreau, left, celebrates his game-winning goal against the Buffalo Sabres with teammate Sean Monahan Dec. 10, 2015.Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press
Johnny Gaudreau scored the winner and Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist as the Calgary Flames overcame a wild third period to beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Thursday night.
Gaudreau worked a give-and-go with Monahan then zipped a low shot through the pads of Chad Johnson at 15:10 of the third.
It came 55 seconds after the third goal of the period for Buffalo defenceman Rasmus Ristolainen, who tied it at 3-3 when he banked a shot from the corner off the skate of Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman and past Jonas Hiller.
Monahan has seven points (three goals, four assists) in his last four games, all of them victories as Calgary enjoys its longest winning streak of the season.
Markus Granlund also scored for the Flames (12-14-2), who have won eight in a row at home for the first time since Feb. 23 to March 27, 2013. The franchise record is 10 straight.
Hiller finished the game with 27 saves while Johnson turned away 28 shots for the Sabres (11-15-3).
In the six-team logjam behind Los Angeles in the Pacific Division, the Flames are tied with Edmonton for fewest points, yet are just four points back of second place Vancouver and with two games in hand.
The Sabres were 3-0-1 when they entered Western Canada for a three-game road trip, but return home having lost all three games, after losses to the Canucks and Oilers.
Monahan opened the scoring at 5:46 of the second period. Brandon Bollig began the sequence with a pass back to Wideman at the blue line, whose shot was stopped but Monahan picked up the loose puck and fired into the back of the net.
With eight seconds left in the second, Granlund gave Calgary a two-goal cushion converting a set-up by Joe Colborne for his third goal in the last five games.
Ristolainen erased the Flames' lead with a pair of power-play goals to open the third.
Monahan's go-ahead goal at 9:25 came on a set-up from Gaudreau, who found him alone in front where he fired his 10th of the season past Johnson.
It was only Hiller's second start since the end of October. He gave up five goals on 29 shots in a loss to San Jose on Nov. 28.
Karri Ramo was supposed to start his 16th game in his last 17 but came down with a worse flu than what was already ailing Jonas Hiller, who had to leave practice early on Wednesday and was not on the ice at Thursday's morning skate.