CALGARY Womens Josh Anderson Jersey , Alberta (AP) — Johnny Gaudreau matched a career-high with four points, all in the first period, and found a spot in the Calgary Flames‘ record book.Gaudreau’s goal and three assists, along with Matthew Tkachuk’s two goals and two assists, helped the Flames take over top spot in the Pacific Division with a 7-2 rout of the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night.Calgary is even in points with the San Jose Sharks, but have one more regulation/overtime win.“He’s a dynamic player and he’s a very creative player and he sees it,” Flames coach Bill Peters said of Gaudreau. “There’s not a whole bunch of them that have the ability to slow the game down and buy time for guys to get open and he’s got it.”Calgary blew the game open early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first period. Gaudreau became the 10th player in franchise history, and first since Olli Jokinen on Feb. 14, 2011, to register four points in a period.Gaudreau’s handiwork began 2:36 into the game when he set up Tkachuk, who also matched his career best in points. Tkachuk whipped a 20-foot wrist shot past Malcolm Subban for a power-play goal.Gaudreau made it 2-0 at 6:49, ripping a shot over Subban’s glove to complete a tic-tac-to passing sequence with linemates Elias Lindholm and Monahan.“Smart play by a smart player,” said Gaudreau, describing Lindholm’s play that began the sequence. “He’s 20 to 30 feet ahead of us and he has a one-on-two, pulls up, finds (Monahan), next thing you know it’s a two-on-two then I’m coming in the play and it’s a three-on-two. For him to have that awareness, he’s pretty smart.”Gaudreau pounced on a turnover in the Vegas slot and set up Monahan’s one-timer for a 3-0 lead at 10:59, then capped off his record-tying period by setting up Monahan’s second of the period and team-leading 12th goal.“He’s a big-time threat to take the puck to the net and then when he pulls up and delays, you’ve got guys with good timing coming late, that’s when you see all those seam passes and East-West passes,” Peters said. “All of a sudden Chris Kreider Jersey , the goaltender is out playing the shooter and it’s a long lateral pass and he can’t get across.”TJ Brodie and Sam Bennett rounded out the scoring for Calgary (12-8-1), which plays Vegas again on Friday.Nick Holden and Max Pacioretty scored third-period goals for the Golden Knights, who were coming off a 6-3 win in Edmonton on Sunday“It’s hard to believe that this happened tonight, the way we played last night but that’s hockey,” Vegas coach Gerard Gallant said. “It’s pretty disappointing and I hope they’re disappointed because they didn’t show up.”For the Flames, who lead the league with six third-period comebacks, Monahan says it was nice to play from in front for a change.“It’s fun, obviously, when you’re putting the puck in the net and you’re winning like that. That’s the best part of hockey,” said Monahan. “This is a team, I think we needed a win like that.”Second-year Czech goaltender David Rittich made 20 saves to improve to 7-1-0. It was the second start in a row for the 26-year-old Rittich, who is getting more playing time with veteran Mike Smith struggling.Subban went the distance for Vegas, finishing with 25 stops. After going 13-4-2 as a rookie last season, Subban has lost all four starts this season.“I don’t have any answers for you right now, but we’re supposed to be a fast team and it’s probably the slowest we played all year,” Vegas winger Reilly Smith said.NOTES: Flames RW James Neal has gone without a point in his last seven games and is stuck at 499 career points. He has just four points (one goal, three assists) in 21 games since signing a five-year, $28.75 million contract in the summer.UP NEXTGolden Knights: At Arizona on Wednesday night.Flames: Host Winnipeg on Wednesday night. John Tavares needed to post only one picture on his Twitter account to explain the grip the Maple Leafs have had on him since he was a youngster growing up in suburban Toronto.The photo featured a not-yet-10-year-old Tavares in bed, asleep on a pillowcase and under a blanket adorned with Maple Leafs logos, and accompanied by a note that read: ”Not everyday you can live a childhood dream.”In bidding farewell to the New York Islanders, where he was the captain and face of the franchise since being drafted with the No. 1 pick in 2009, Tavares chose Toronto and agreed to a seven-year, $77 million contract about an hour after the NHL’s free-agency signing period opened Sunday.The 27-year-old Tavares spent last week assessing offers from the Islanders Henrik Lundqvist Jersey Kids , San Jose, Toronto, Dallas, Tampa Bay and Boston. He called his decision the toughest of his life in choosing between staying in New York or taking ”a calculated leap of faith into an opportunity I believe will be special to me and my family.”In the end, he was unable to avoid the lure Toronto presented, and informed the Maple Leafs he had chosen them late Saturday night.”I just felt this opportunity was just so rare, the timing of where the organization’s at, and obviously the connection being from here,” Tavares said. ”I really believe there’s a big window here to win, to be part of something special. It just felt right.”Tavares, whose 306 points over the past four seasons rank sixth among players over that span, was the highest-profile player to hit the market since the Minnesota Wild signed both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to matching 13-year, $98 million contracts.Tavares’ signing led to a domino effect in player movement.Toronto lost two forwards in free agency. James van Riemsdyk left the Maple Leafs after six seasons to return to Philadelphia, where he signed a five-year, $35 million contract. The Leafs also lost center Tyler Bozak, who signed a three-year, $15 million contract with St. Louis, which later on beefed up down the middle by acquiring Ryan O’Reilly in a blockbuster trade with the Buffalo Sabres.Some of money the Lightning saved by not landing Tavares was spent on signing defenseman Ryan McDonagh to a seven-year, $47.25 million extension, which kicks in next summer.Paul Stastny caused another ripple of moves in the Western Conference. He left Winnipeg to sign a three-year, $19.5 million contract with the Stanley Cup finalist Vegas Golden Knights – a spot left open after David Perron returned to St. Louis by signing a four-year, $16 million deal.Vegas forward James Neal is among the more high-profile free agents still unsigned.In Nashville, the Predators will turn their attention to negotiating a contract extension with defenseman Ryan Ellis Jimmy Vesey Jersey , who is entering the final year of his contract. The Ottawa Senators are expected to do the same with their captain, Erik Karlsson.Tavares’ signing has the potential of shifting the balance of power in the Eastern Conference.He joins a young, talented group that already features Auston Matthews, the 2016 draft’s No. 1 pick, a veteran presence in Patrick Marleau and a top coach in Mike Babcock.The Leafs, who haven’t won a championship since their last Stanley Cup Final appearance in 1967, have made strides in three years since Babcock’s arrival. Toronto has made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons after qualifying just once in the previous 11. And yet, they have not advanced past the first round since 2004.Tavares specifically referenced Matthews and 21-year-old center Mitchell Marner, who led the Leafs with 69 points last season as reasons to be optimistic.”They’ve accomplished so much in such little time. You can only think about the trajectory they’re on, and that’s what gets me excited,” Tavares said.The Islanders experienced struggles even with Tavares by qualifying for the playoffs just three times in nine seasons.Now they face a daunting uphill climb minus their unquestioned leader and point-a-game producer. In a bid to retain Tavares, the team underwent an organizational makeover in recent months. They hired Lou Lamoriello as president of hockey operations and fresh Stanley Cup winner Barry Trotz as coach.”The New York Islanders would like to thank John Tavares for everything he has done for the franchise throughout his nine seasons,” Lamoriello said in a statement released by the team. ”We wish him and his family all the best.”Bruins GM Don Sweeney expressed one lament in losing out on signing Tavares.”I would have preferred it not be in our division,” Sweeney said, referring to Tavares making the switch from the Metropolitan to Atlantic Division. ”We put our best foot forward. It just didn’t fall our way.”Other notable deals:-Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson signed a five-year, $16.25 million contract with Pittsburgh. The 31-year-old Johnson is a 12-year NHL veteran, who spent the past six-plus seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets.-The Colorado Avalanche added two former Blue Jackets in signing defenseman Ian Cole and forward Matt Calvert to three-year deals. Cole gets $12.75 million and Calvert gets $8.4 million.-The Sabres filled a need at goaltender by signing former St. Louis Blues backup Carter Hutton to a three-year, $8.25 million deal. Hutton will share the starting duties with Linus Ullmark, who is pegged to make the jump to Buffalo after three seasons in the minors.-The Arizona Coyotes signed All-Star defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to an eight-year contract extension that averages $8.25 million per year.-The San Jose Sharks announced a $64 million, eight-year extension with center Logan Couture.-The New York Rangers agreed to sign restricted free-agent forward Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year, $8 million deal.—AP Sports Writer Jimmy Golen, in Boston and freelance writer Denis P. Gorman contributed to this report.—