Late Goal Sinks Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome as Pacific Race Tightens
Calgary tied the game twice but surrendered the deciding goal in the final minute, falling 4–3 as movement elsewhere in the Western Conference continued to tighten the standings.
CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames fell 4–3 Saturday night, undone by a late third-period goal in a game that intersected with a busy day across the Western Conference standings.
Calgary opened the scoring just 1:56 into the first period when Yan Kuznetsov stepped into a slap shot from the point to make it 1–0. The lead was short-lived. Erik Haula tied the game midway through the period, then scored again less than two minutes later to put Nashville ahead 2–1.
The Flames answered late in the opening frame. Rasmus Andersson pulled Calgary even at 2–2, closing a first period that produced four goals in under 14 minutes.
Nashville regained the lead early in the second when Michael Bunting scored unassisted at 4:08, restoring a 3–2 advantage. Calgary pushed back again in the third period, with Blake Coleman finishing a play from Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato at 12:49 to tie the game 3–3.
The tie held until the final minute. Nicolas Hague fired a slap shot past Calgary at 19:31 of the third, delivering the game-winning goal.
Dustin Wolf was the goalie of record for Calgary, stopping 32 of 36 shots for an .889 save percentage.
The result followed movement elsewhere in the Pacific Division earlier in the day. The Edmonton Oilers were defeated 5–2 by the Philadelphia Flyers, creating an opportunity for Calgary to close the gap in the standings. With the Flames losing in regulation, the distance remains six points between the two clubs.
Edmonton sits at 46 points, one point ahead of both the Vegas Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks, who are tied at 45. Further down the board, the Los Angeles Kings picked up a win over Minnesota, moving to 43 points and into a three-way tie atop the Western Conference wild-card race with the Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks.
Calgary’s margin to Edmonton stayed the same, but results elsewhere continued to compress the Western Conference playoff picture.
Flames sweep Flyers, tighten wild card race as Calgary hits season midpoint Saturday
The Calgary Flames completed a season sweep of the Philadelphia Flyers with a 5–1 win, tightening the Western Conference wild card race as they approach the halfway point of their season.
CALGARY -- The Calgary Flames strengthened their position in the Western Conference wild card race Wednesday night with a 5–1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, completing a 2–0 season series sweep.
Mikael Backlund opened the scoring at 13:30 of the first period, unloading a slap shot after receiving passes from Matt Coronato and Blake Coleman. Calgary carried a 1–0 lead into the intermission despite being outshot early.
Jonathan Huberdeau made it 2–0 just 3:08 into the second period, finishing a setup from MacKenzie Weegar and Yan Kuznetsov. Philadelphia briefly pulled within one when Travis Konecny scored unassisted at 8:49, but Calgary answered later in the period.
Rasmus Andersson restored the two-goal lead on the power play at 12:03, converting off passes from Connor Zary and Nazem Kadri. Yegor Sharangovich added another power-play goal at 17:52, snapping a shot past the Flyers with Coronato and Weegar recording the assists. Calgary took a 4–1 lead into the second intermission.
Connor Zary capped the scoring at 9:37 of the third period, finishing a play created by Ryan Lomberg to put the game out of reach. Calgary finished with 25 shots, went 2-for-3 on the power play, won 54.5 percent of the faceoffs, and limited Philadelphia to one goal.
The win moves the Flames to 40 points through 40 games, placing them fourth in the Western Conference wild card standings and just outside the playoff picture. Calgary sits six points back of the Pacific Division lead, currently held by Edmonton at 46 points. The Flames have 18 wins on the season, compared to Edmonton’s 20. The Oilers lost 6–2 to Boston on Wednesday, two nights after Calgary defeated the Bruins 2–1 at the Saddledome.
Calgary will reach the halfway point of its season Saturday when it hosts the Nashville Predators in a 5:00 pm MT matchup. Both teams enter with 40 points, though Nashville holds one game in hand. The Flames then host the Seattle Kraken on Monday at 7:30 pm MT before heading out on a five-game road trip through Montreal, Boston, Pittsburgh, Columbus, and Chicago.
On the international stage, Canada closed the preliminary round at the World Juniors with a 7–4 win over Finland and will face Slovakia in the quarterfinals on Friday, Jan. 2. The semifinals are scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 4, with the final set for Monday, Jan. 5.
The Calgary Wranglers are also in action at the Saddledome this week, hosting Colorado on Thursday, Tucson on Friday, and Tucson again on Sunday.
Flames Rally Past Kraken 4-2 at Saddledome as Wolf Stops 21 in Third-Period Comeback
The Calgary Flames scored three times in the third period to defeat the Seattle Kraken 4-2 at Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday night, powered by power-play goals from Nazem Kadri and Matt Coronato and a 21 save performance from goaltender Dustin Wolf as Calgary moved to 32 points in the Western Conference standings.
CALGARY – The Calgary Flames earned a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night at Scotiabank Saddledome, completing a third-period comeback built on special teams execution and standout goaltending.
Seattle carried a 2-1 lead into the final frame after second-period goals from Chandler Stephenson and Kaapo Kakko. Stephenson opened the scoring in the period at 7:52, finishing a backhand chance, while Kakko restored Seattle’s lead late with a power-play goal at 17:16.
Calgary responded decisively in the third.
Nazem Kadri tied the game at 10:04 of the period, converting a power-play one-timer for his eighth goal of the season. Rasmus Andersson and Morgan Frost provided the assists on the equalizer, which came during a stretch where the Flames applied sustained pressure.
Just over a minute later, Matt Coronato delivered the go-ahead goal. At 11:19 of the third, Coronato snapped a glove-side shot past Seattle goaltender Joey Daccord for his 11th goal of the season, extending his team lead. Andersson recorded his second assist of the night, while Jonathan Huberdeau picked up the secondary assist, marking the 800th point of his NHL career.
Seattle pushed late, but Calgary held structure in the closing minutes. Captain Mikael Backlund added an empty-net goal with under eight seconds remaining to secure the result, his seventh of the season.
Dustin Wolf anchored the comeback with a composed performance in goal, stopping 21 shots and earning the win.
The victory marked Calgary’s 14th win of the season and moved the Flames to 32 points in the Western Conference standings. With the result, Calgary leapfrogged both Seattle and Nashville and sits five points out of a playoff spot.
Final score:
Calgary Flames 4
Seattle Kraken 2
Flames Win Shootout Thriller, Wranglers Earn Road Victory, and Calgary Teams Prep for Busy Week
Calgary hockey delivered across every level. The Flames edged Dallas 3-2 in a shootout behind Devin Cooley and Nazem Kadri, while the Wranglers earned a 3-2 win in San Diego powered by Frk, Kerins, and Gridin. The Flames now visit Vancouver before a challenging road swing, and the Wranglers and Hitmen both return to action today as Calgary’s busy week continues.
CALGARY — The Calgary Flames and Calgary Wranglers both delivered 3 to 2 victories on Saturday night, giving the city a clean sweep across the NHL and AHL while setting the tone for one of the busiest weeks of the season for Calgary hockey fans.
At the Saddledome, the Flames edged the Dallas Stars 3 to 2 in a shootout, with Nazem Kadri burying the winner and Devin Cooley turning in another composed, confident performance. Cooley entered the night carrying a 1.80 goals against average and a .935 save percentage, and he gave Calgary exactly the kind of calm presence they needed against a Dallas lineup featuring elite offensive threats. Calgary generated timely scoring, defended well late, and finished the job when the skills competition rolled around. Kadri’s finish sealed it, and Cooley shut the door to complete the win.
While the Flames were grinding out their victory at home, the Wranglers were doing the same in San Diego. After giving up the opening goal, Calgary responded with purpose. Martin Frk tied the game in the first period with assists from Matvei Gridin and Rory Kerins. Justin Kirkland followed it up with a powerplay strike to give the Wranglers the lead, and Gridin extended it in the second period with his seventh of the season. San Diego pushed back with a late goal, but Ivan Prosvetov handled the final moments with confidence, finishing with 30 saves on 32 shots. Frk led the way with a three-point night, while both Kerins and Gridin posted two point games.
It was a strong showing from both Flames affiliates, but the schedule now tightens. The Flames are back at it right away with a Sunday night matchup in Vancouver against the Canucks at 7 pm. That game kicks off a tough three-game stretch that includes Tampa Bay on Wednesday, the defending champion Florida Panthers on Friday, and a visit to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday to close out the month of November. It is a challenging run that will test Calgary’s structure, depth, and goaltending.
The Wranglers face their own quick turnaround with a road game today at 3 pm MT against the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena. After that, they visit the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday as they continue their California swing. With Frk, Kerins, and Gridin producing at a high level, the Wranglers remain one of the most consistent offensive teams in the AHL’s Pacific Division.
Calgary hockey extended beyond the NHL and AHL on Saturday night as well. In major junior action, the Calgary Hitmen fell in a high-scoring 7 to 6 game in Medicine Hat. The Hitmen return home right away for a 4 pm matchup at the Scotiabank Saddledome, giving Calgary fans yet another home event in a packed weekend.
It was a full night for hockey in Calgary, and both the Flames and Wranglers delivered results that matched the effort. With big games coming across every level of the sport in the next few days, the city is stepping into one of the most compelling stretches of the season.