Coronado’s Two-Goal Effort Not Enough as Blues Spoil Flames’ Home Opener
CALGARY — The Saturday matinee at the Scotiabank Saddledome had all the makings of a statement win, but the Calgary Flames couldn’t finish the job. Despite two goals from Matt Coronado, the Flames fell 4–2 to the St. Louis Blues in their 2025–26 home opener, ending a streak that had seen Calgary go 7-0-1 in home openers since 2016.
Coronado opened the scoring at 14:49 of the first period on the power play, converting a feed from Joel Farabee and Nazem Kadri. Late in the second, with the Flames trailing, he struck again at even strength, taking a quick pass from Kevin Bahl and ripping a shot high glove side to tie the game 2–2. The 22-year-old winger’s release and confidence were on full display, underscoring why he’s expected to be a cornerstone piece of Calgary’s next generation.
The Flames controlled much of the second period, pushing tempo and puck possession, but two quick St. Louis goals midway through the frame flipped the energy. The Blues regained their composure in the third, protecting the middle of the ice and adding insurance down the stretch to secure the win.
Goaltender Dustin Wolf faced 28 shots, stopping 24 for a .857 save percentage. He was composed under pressure, turning aside several high-danger chances that kept Calgary within reach until the final minutes.
The loss drops the Flames to 1-2-0 on the season as they regroup ahead of a high-profile matchup Tuesday night against Vegas. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and the Golden Knights visit the Dome for a 7 p.m. puck drop.
Meanwhile in Loveland, Colorado, the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers are set for Game 2 of their weekend set against the Colorado Eagles. After falling 7-4 in Friday’s season opener, the Wranglers will look to split the series before heading to Tucson next week.
Beyond hockey, Canadian sports fans have another headline to track: the Seattle Mariners defeated the Detroit Tigers last night to advance to the American League Championship Series, where they’ll face the Toronto Blue Jays beginning tomorrow night.
It’s a packed Saturday on the sports calendar — from Coronado’s breakout and Wolf’s early-season test to the Wranglers’ bounce-back bid and an all-north matchup brewing on the diamond.
Kerins, Coronato Lead Calgary Past Seattle in Preseason Win
CALGARY — The Calgary Flames leaned on a mix of youthful energy and veteran stability Tuesday night, skating to a 4–1 preseason win over the Seattle Kraken at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Yegor Sharangovich opened the scoring midway through the first period, deflecting a Hunter Brzustewicz shot to give Calgary an early edge. Seattle answered before the intermission, knotting the game 1–1.
Early in the second, Rory Kerins restored the Flames’ lead. After Connor Zary carried the puck into the zone, a broken play left the puck bouncing loose in front. Kerins pounced and snapped a shot past the Kraken goaltender from close range to make it 2–1 Calgary. The 23-year-old prospect, who scored 33 goals last year for the AHL Wranglers, added an assist later in the night to cap a strong outing.
On fresh ice to start the third, Matt Coronato struck quickly. Stationed below the left circle, he one-timed a slick low cross-slot feed from Morgan Frost, beating the Seattle goalie clean to push the Flames ahead 3–1. Jonathan Huberdeau also picked up an assist on the play.
Sam Morton sealed it with an empty-netter at 17:26, created by a sharp defensive play from Sam Honzek, who broke up a Seattle rush and turned the puck the other way before sliding it ahead for Morton’s finish.
Brzustewicz finished with two assists and two shots on goal, continuing to impress with his poise from the back end. Sharangovich, Huberdeau, and Frost each chipped in helpers to round out a balanced offensive showing.
Between the pipes, Dustin Wolf stopped 12 of 13 shots before giving way to Owen Say, who turned aside all seven attempts he faced to close out the win.
The victory offered a glimpse of Calgary’s depth in action — with veterans setting the tone and young players like Kerins, Brzustewicz, and Honzek making strong cases to stick around as roster battles intensify heading toward opening night.
Flames Shut Out 3–0 by Oilers in Preseason Split-Squad
CALGARY — Edmonton struck early and never trailed, turning blocked shots and opportunistic finishing into a 3–0 win over Calgary in a split-squad Battle of Alberta preseason game at the Saddledome on Sunday night.
The Oilers opened the scoring at 2:38 of the first period when Kasperi Kapanen slipped behind coverage and beat Flames goalie Devin Cooley on a breakaway. Calgary answered with offensive-zone time and flashes from its younger players, but Edmonton’s structure kept pucks to the perimeter.
Zayne Parekh was one of Calgary’s most noticeable skaters. The rookie defenseman showed poise with the puck, holding the blue line under pressure, threading cross-ice passes, and jumping into the rush to create chances. His confidence carried through all three periods, giving the Flames one of their most consistent sparks.
In the third period, Edmonton capitalized on Calgary mistakes. At 8:18, a defensive-zone giveaway landed on Connor Clattenburg’s stick, and the forward went upstairs glove side to make it 2–0. Just under four minutes later, Riley Stillman’s point shot also found the top corner, pushing the lead to 3–0 at 11:47.
Calgary had chances but ran into Edmonton’s shot-blocking wall. The Oilers closed lanes all night and finished with a 23–9 edge in blocks, a key factor in protecting the lead. Shots ended 29–20 for Edmonton. Cooley made several timely stops early in the third to keep the game close, while Matthew Coronato featured prominently on the top power-play unit alongside Kadri and Aydar Suniev, generating some of Calgary’s best looks.
Connor Clattenburg was named the game’s first star after his third-period goal. Coronato earned the second star for Calgary.
With most of Edmonton’s top players skating in the other half of the split-squad matchup at Rogers Place, this was a younger Oilers lineup in Calgary. Even so, they left with a shutout win, while the Flames saw valuable minutes from their prospects as preseason evaluations continue.