The Calgary Flames looked like a team with something to prove Friday night.

Daymond Langkow, Curtis Glencross and Eric Nystrom scored second-period goals to lift the Calgary Flames over the New Jersey Devils 5-3 at the Saddledome.

"For whatever reason, we've struggled at home to score goals. It was nice to get five tonight," Langkow said. "That's the way we've got to play every night, with that same emotion and intensity."

Zach Parise netted two goals, and Ilya Kovalchuk added another for the Devils, who fell to 1-1 since returning from the Olympic break.

Friday's matchup marked the first time Calgary head coach Brent Sutter faced his former club since leaving the Devils following the 2008-09 season.

Starting out seemingly on fire, the Flames came close around the 10-minute mark.

Langkow grabbed a loose puck in the slot and snapped it on Martin Brodeur, but the NHL shutout leader closed the door, keeping the score 0-0.

Calgary kept up the pressure in the offensive zone, firing shots from every angle, but the Devils backstop turned aside all offerings.

Even with consistent pressure from the home side, it was New Jersey who found the scoresheet first.

Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner set up Parise for his 29th goal of the season.

When the New Jersey point shot careened off the back boards, Langenbrunner made a blind backhand pass to Parise, who one-timed the puck behind Mikka Kiprusoff.

Evening the score

Calgary evened the score early in the second frame.

After an icing call, the Devils were left with a defensive zone faceoff. Newly acquired forward Chris Higgins fought for the puck off the draw, drove out front and put a shot on net. Langkow, who nearly scored a period before, powered past the Devils defenceman and swept a backhander under Brodeur to tie the game at 1-1.

With just 12 goals this year after seven straight seasons with 20 or more, Langkow's struggles reflect those of the entire team. Calgary entered the night 29th in the league in goals scored, ahead of only the Boston Bruins.

"Obviously you're thinking about it. Especially when you're losing," said Langkow. "You feel like you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing out there and then maybe you change your game a little bit and it just gets worse."

Calgary took the lead just over two minutes later.

On the penalty kill, Flames forward Curtis Glencross stole the puck at the blue line and was off to the races. The gritty forward went in alone on Brodeur, snapping the puck under the bar for the short-handed marker to make it 2-1.

"That's one of my go-to moves, one I'm confident with. Get a quick shot off like that and surprise the goalie before they get set," Glencross said.

Kovalchuk accepted the blame on the play saying he tried to get too fancy with the puck.

"He made a good play and I made a bad play," said Kovalchuk. "I have to keep it a little simpler than that, especially when it's a 1-1 tie."

The home side struck again late in the second period.

Eric Nystrom battled out of the left corner, putting a shot on net as he was knocked to the ice. From his knees, the forward collected his own rebound and sent the puck past Brodeur, giving the Flames a two-goal advantage.

4-goal bulge

In the third, Matt Stajan and David Moss scored for Calgary.

Stajan potted his 19th on the season midway through the final frame, and David Moss added another with less then 10 minutes to play to give Calgary a four-goal lead.

Brodeur finished with 20 saves in a self-admitted off night.

"I was fighting it tonight. They were able to pick up some garbage goals," said the veteran goaltender. "It doesn't happen often but lately, the puck's definitely not hitting me. That last goal, Stajan fans on it, it still goes through everything and goes through my legs."

But the Devils weren't finished.

At 16:08, Parise tapped in another Langenbrunner pass on the power play for his second of the game and 30th of the year.

Just over a minute later, Kovalchuk beat Kiprusoff for his third as a Devil, but the comeback proved to be too late for New Jersey.

Early scare

It was a scary moment early in the first as veteran defenceman Steve Staios and Kovalchuk went crashing into the end boards.

As the puck was iced by the Devils, Kovalchuk and Staios raced down the left-hand boards. The former Thrasher appeared to lose an edged and slid into boards with the big blue liner falling on top of him. Kovalchuk looked shaken, holding his hand as he got up off the ice, but did return on his next shift.

Kovalchuk was acquired on Feb. 5 from the Atlanta Thrashers in an attempt to add an offensive punch to a Devils team known for defence.

In eight games since the trade, Kovalchuk has registered three goals and five assists for eight points.