LAS VEGAS (Interstat) — Mark Stone recorded a hat trick, Jack Eichel added a goal and two assists and the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Calgary Flames 6-2 on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena. Carter Hart made 28 saves for Vegas, which improved to 7-2. Calgary fell to 1-6. The announced attendance was 16,433. Stone finished with three goals and three shots on goal, Eichel had four shots, and Ivan Barbashev contributed three assists as Vegas pulled away in the third period. Calgary received goals from Jacob Middleton and Matt Coronato, but the Flames could not keep pace after an early deficit. Vegas led 2-0 after the first period, took a 3-1 lead into the third and then put the game out of reach with Stone’s three-goal burst. The Golden Knights also received a strong game from Hart, who turned aside 28 of the 30 shots he faced.

The Golden Knights needed only 25 seconds to take the lead. Brett Howden scored on a wrist shot from Mitch Marner, giving Vegas an early advantage. The goal set the tone for a first period in which Vegas controlled play and limited Calgary’s chances. Jack Eichel doubled the lead later in the first period with an unassisted wrist shot. Eichel’s goal came after a takeaway by Marner and a Vegas sequence that kept Calgary pinned in its own zone. Calgary entered the first intermission trailing 2-0 despite a few looks from Martin Pospisil and Morgan Frost, both of whom were stopped by Hart. The Flames also blocked several Vegas attempts, including a Shea Theodore shot that Jonathan Castagna got in front of, but the Golden Knights carried the play for much of the opening 20 minutes. Vegas also got an early takeaway from Marner and a hit from Howden as it established a physical presence.

Calgary steadied itself in the second period and finally broke through. Jacob Middleton scored on a wrist shot, with assists from Joel Farabee and Martin Pospisil, cutting the Vegas lead to 2-1. The goal gave the Flames a brief spark, and Calgary generated additional pressure with shots from Matt Coronato and Yegor Sharangovich. Hart, however, was sharp in the Vegas net. He denied Coronato on a wrist shot and later stopped Sharangovich to preserve the lead. Vegas answered before the period was over. Braeden Bowman scored on a wrist shot, with Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson picking up assists. The goal restored a two-goal cushion and shifted momentum back to the home team. Bowman finished the game with a goal, five shots on goal and one hit, while Barbashev’s playmaking continued to drive Vegas’ offense. Calgary’s Kevin Bahl was called for tripping in the second period, and Martin Pospisil received a hooking penalty, giving Vegas power-play time that helped it maintain pressure.

The third period belonged to Stone. He completed his hat trick with three goals in the final frame, turning a competitive game into a rout. Stone’s first goal of the period came on a tip-in, with Eichel and Barbashev assisting. His second was a backhand that beat Calgary’s goaltender, with Noah Hanifin and Barbashev getting assists. Stone’s third goal came on a wrist shot, with Eichel and Marner assisting. The three-goal effort gave Stone three shots on goal for the night and made him the game’s top star. Stone entered the game with points in two of his previous four games, including a goal and five shots against Toronto and an assist at Nashville. Vegas continued to press after Stone’s goals, generating chances from Eichel, Marner and Barbashev. Calgary’s defense, which had kept the game close through two periods, could not contain Vegas’ top line in the third. Stone’s hat trick was the centerpiece of a period in which Vegas scored three times and pulled away.

Hart’s performance was steady throughout. He finished with 28 saves on 30 shots and earned the win. Calgary’s goaltender, Dustin Wolf, faced consistent pressure and made several stops, but the Flames were unable to slow Vegas’ attack in the third period. Eichel finished with a goal, two assists and four shots on goal. Barbashev had three assists and four shots. Marner added two assists. Howden scored once, recorded four penalty minutes and delivered a hit. William Karlsson contributed an assist and a hit. Noah Hanifin, Shea Theodore, Brayden McNabb and Zach Whitecloud were among the Vegas defensemen who helped limit Calgary’s chances for long stretches. Vegas also received a goal from Bowman and a strong forechecking effort from its bottom six.

For Calgary, Coronato scored late in the third period on a backhand, with Matvei Gridin and Morgan Frost assisting. Coronato finished with a goal and three shots on goal. Pospisil had an assist, one shot, four penalty minutes and a hit. Middleton’s second-period goal was Calgary’s first of the game, and Farabee picked up an assist on the play. Mikael Backlund won several faceoffs and was active in the defensive zone, but Calgary struggled to generate sustained offense against Vegas’ defense. The Flames also had trouble staying out of the penalty box, especially in the second and third periods. Calgary’s best chances in the third came from Coronato and Zayne Parekh, but Hart was equal to the task.

The game grew chippy in the third period. Martin Pospisil and Brett Howden were both penalized for roughing and slashing after a scrum, and Raphael Lavoie and Jacob Middleton received misconduct penalties. Earlier, Brayden McNabb was called for holding the stick against Jonathan Castagna. Calgary’s Kevin Bahl was whistled for tripping against Marner. Jonathan Castagna received an interference penalty against Jeremy Lauzon. Zayne Parekh was called for slashing against Howden. Martin Pospisil also received a hooking penalty against Lauzon. Mikael Backlund was penalized for high-sticking against McNabb. Jeremy Lauzon was called for tripping against Parekh. The penalties disrupted Calgary’s rhythm and gave Vegas additional opportunities to control play. The Flames finished with several players in the box, while Vegas’ discipline improved after an early holding call against McNabb.

Vegas has now won seven of its first nine games and sits at 7-2. The Golden Knights’ recent stretch includes a win at Nashville and a loss at Minnesota. They also earned wins over Los Angeles, Toronto, Seattle and Vancouver earlier in the season. Calgary, meanwhile, has lost six of seven to open the season. The Flames’ only win came earlier this week at Anaheim. Calgary has dropped games to Anaheim, Colorado, Seattle twice and Vancouver. The Flames will next host Carolina, while Vegas will host Pittsburgh.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Vegas 4, Calgary 1. Interstat’s ELO system gave Vegas a 72.7 percent probability to win. Vegas had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 8 went under the over-under line of 6.5.