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.
Oilers’ Power Play Dominates Battle of Alberta as Edmonton Tops Calgary
Edmonton’s power play dictated the Battle of Alberta, using constant motion and pace to dismantle Calgary’s penalty kill. Leon Draisaitl’s power-play hat trick and Connor McDavid’s playmaking pushed the Oilers into a tie for first in the Pacific, while the Flames left points on the table heading into the Christmas break.
CALGARY — The margin in the Battle of Alberta was not subtle. It was structural.
Edmonton’s power play dictated the night through constant motion, quick reads, and pressure that never allowed Calgary’s penalty killers to settle. The puck carrier was always moving, changing direction, pulling coverage apart. It was less about one look and more about forcing defenders into continuous decisions. Calgary never found its footing.
The Oilers were given five power-play opportunities. Against a unit built on pace and precision, that was too many.
Leon Draisaitl converted three times on the man advantage, completing a power-play hat trick, while Connor McDavid conducted the game with control and timing that bent coverage until it broke. Edmonton’s power play did not rely on static setups or stationary shooters. It flowed, reset, and attacked again, using movement as the primary weapon.
Calgary briefly responded at even strength when MacKenzie Weegar struck from the blue line late in the first period to level the score. It was a moment of pushback, but it did not shift the underlying momentum. Penalties continued to pile up, and Edmonton continued to capitalize.
By the third period, the game had tilted decisively. Edmonton extended its lead and closed with authority, turning discipline and execution into separation on the scoreboard.
The win marks Edmonton’s 19th of the season and pulls the Oilers into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with Vegas and Anaheim at 44 points heading into the Christmas break. It is a position earned through consistency and reinforced by elite special teams.
For Calgary, the picture remains tight but complicated. The Flames sit at 15 wins and 34 points. They are only five points out of a playoff spot, but five teams stand between them and the final wild card position in the Western Conference. The math keeps them in the race. The margins leave little room for nights like this.
Discipline is not a detail against teams like Edmonton. It is the difference.
At the break, the standings show separation. On the ice, the power play made it unmistakable.