CALGARY, Alberta — The game-time decision proved to be the right decision.

Evander Kane recorded the first four-goal game of his career Friday, propelling the Sharks to a 7-4 victory over the Calgary Flames in a Pacific Division battle loaded with playoff implications after he skipped the team’s morning practice with a lower-body injury.

Head coach Pete DeBoer labeled Kane, who missed two shifts in Edmonton Wednesday because of the injury, as a “game-time decision” Friday morning.

What a decision it ended up being.

Kane didn’t waste any time to make his presence felt, scoring the game’s opening goal six minutes into the first. He recorded his first goal by beating goalie Mike Smith with a shot from just inside the blue line that appeared to redirect off defenseman Dougie Hamilton’s stick.

The 26-year-old forward tied the game at 2-2 with his second goal at 6:29 of the second, deflecting a point shot from Dylan DeMelo while he was tied up in front of the net with Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic. Kane completed the hat trick at 16:32 of the middle frame, putting the Sharks ahead 4-3 by hammering in the rebound of his own blocked shot from the doorstep.

“I knew I was going to play,” Kane said. “It was more just precaution than anything and rest. Rest is a weapon. The training staff did a great job in getting me ready.”

DeBoer also “felt” like Kane would play all along.

“He didn’t want to skate this morning, so I just left it at that,” the Sharks coach said. “I felt that he probably would play unless he had a setback in warmups.”

After Kane celebrated his third goal by raising his arms up toward the rafters from his knees, he told his teammates, “oh my God, finally”. The goal marked the first hat trick of his eight-year NHL career. He entered the game with the most two-goal games (27) without scoring a hat trick among active-NHL players.

“I’m off that list with (Pavel) Datsyuk and (Al) MacInnis of most two-goal games,” Kane said. “I’ve been reminded of that for a while. It was great to be able to get the third, especially in a real important game.”

He wasn’t finished, though.

Kane added a fourth goal at 1:02 of the third, his 25th of the year, pushing the Sharks lead to 6-3, by tapping in a Joe Pavelski pass from the side of the net. Three of Kane’s goals came after DeBoer promoted Chris Tierney up to the right wing of Pavelski’s line, replacing Jannik Hansen, who was filling in for the injured Joonas Donskoi.

Kane’s fourth goal chased Smith from the game. Smith entered the night with a .940 save percentage in 25 career appearances against the Sharks.

With four goals on the night, Kane has now recorded 10 points in eight games since he joined the Sharks in a deal with the Buffalo Sabres at the trade deadline.

“He’s definitely made a huge impact on us as a team,” Pavelski said. “He’s been one of those guys driving the bus here for the last week or two and he came through big for us tonight.”

But Kane wasn’t the only Sharks forward to find the back of the net Friday. Kevin Labanc made it 3-3 at 11:42 of the second by picking the top-right corner from the outer edge of the left circle and Tomas Hertl gave the Sharks a 5-3 edge with 1:58 left in middle frame by poking a pass from Justin Braun through Smith’s legs.

Eric Fehr iced the game with an empty-net goal at 16:02 of the third.

By recording his 10th goal, Labanc became the 12th Shark to reach double digits in goals this season, highlighting the team’s scoring depth.

The win allowed the Sharks to regain a three-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks for second place in the Pacific Division while seriously compromising the Flames playoff hopes.

In the lead in to Friday’s action, sports talk radio in Calgary was billing the contest as the “biggest game of the year”. The Flames desperately needed a win, entering the game three points behind the Dallas Stars for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, four points behind the Los Angeles Kings for third place in the Pacific Division and five points behind the Sharks for second place.

Related Articles Former Sharks providing full value to Stanley Cup-bound teams

Home sweet home? Giants, visitors at Oracle Park, tie franchise record in win

Sharks will soon make Bob Boughner their full-time coach, per report

Game Changers: Four years after Kaepernick kneeled, a look at Bay Area sports leaders who stood before him

Sharks reach agreement with depth centerman on two-year deal Now, they trail the Stars by four points and the Sharks by seven points with just 10 games left on the schedule. With the win, the Sharks improved to 3-0 on the year against the Flames and 9-1-1 against the Flames, Kings and Anaheim Ducks, who are all chasing them in the Pacific Division standings.

The Flames received goals from Troy Brouwer, Mark Jankowski, Johnny Gaudreau and Micheal Ferland.

“We keep winning games and we’re not moving. We’re not putting any space between us and anybody,” DeBoer said. “We’ve just got to keep our heads down here and keep putting points in the bank.”