CALGARY, Alberta _ The style of play that fueled the Devils' strong start to the season yet had been inconsistent in the first two stops of this Western Canada trip seeped back into their game on Sunday night.
And it was just enough to send them home fulfilling Taylor Hall's pre-trip declaration that the team's mindset was to finish at least .500.
So, an entertaining 5-4 shootout defeat to the Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome that featured an unsuccessful penalty shot by both teams left the Devils (9-3-1) returning home with their first two-game losing streak of the season but 1-1-1 on the trip after Wednesday night's 2-0 win at Vancouver with a 6-3 loss at Edmonton on Friday.
Matthew Tkachuk scored the decisive shootout goal for the Flames (8-6-0) in the third round after Drew Stafford had kept the Devils' hopes alive. Sean Monahan scored on the Flames' first attempt while Taylor Hall and Jesper Bratt were denied by Mike Smith (26 saves).
Keith Kinkaid stopped 30 shots for the Devils.
The Devils, still without top-six wings Kyle Palmieri (left foot) and Marcus Johansson (concussion) won more puck battles and skated better, though the Flames found too many holes in their defense for odd-man rushes or chances at the crease.
Johnny Gaudreau, with a quick backhand pass, sprung Michael Ferland to the crease ahead of Bratt for a 4-3 lead at 6:54 of the third period. But captain Andy Greene tied it for the Devils at 11:11 with a shot from the left.
Miles Wood then lifted a backhander wide of the net on his penalty shot at 13:54 of the third period after he was held by Matt Bartkowski on a breakaway.
The Devils have a busy home schedule this week with games against the Blues, Oilers and Panthers at Prudential Center.
Hall extended his point streak to five games as he gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 1:34 of the first period, easily putting in the rebound of Nico Hischier's initial shot as the No. 1 overall pick led the rush up right wing.
The Devils, who did not receive a power play in their loss at Edmonton and had only one in their win at Vancouver, got their first chance on Sunday when Brett Kulak was called for holding Damon Severson at 10:51.
But the Devils' power play was disjointed and Mikael Backlund led Michael Frolik for a shorthanded goal to tie the game at 1 at 11:07, marking the first shorthanded goal the Devils have allowed this season.
Kinkaid, going into a split and using his right pad to stop Ferland at 13:45, then stopped the first penalty shot the Devils have faced this season. Stefan Noesen, trailing Ferland, was called for tripping on a breakaway.
Kinkaid also made two saves on Sam Bennett's breakaway at 18:52 as he exited the penalty box.
Hischier also set up Ben Lovejoy's goal at 1:56 of the second period as the veteran defenseman, not a regular in the lineup this season as he was in his first season with the Devils when he played all 82 games, easily put in the rebound of Hischier's shot from the left for a 2-1 lead.
The Flames, though, tied it again at 2 at 11:11 as defenseman Michael Stone's shot from the right point beat Kinkaid up high as the goalie was screened by three bodies. They took their first lead at 12:27 as Sean Monahan slipped behind Hischier and Bratt into the slot but that lead last just 10 seconds.
Brian Gibbons, the 29-year-old journeyman who had five career goals prior to this season and made the roster somewhat surprisingly out of training camp, scored his team-leading seventh goal from the left boards through Stefan Noesen's screen at 12:37.
