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.
Calgary defeats Boston 2-1 in overtime behind 24-save night from Wolf
Dustin Wolf made 24 saves as the Calgary Flames defeated the Boston Bruins 2–1 in overtime Monday night, moving to within one point of a playoff spot.
CALGARY — The Calgary Flames earned a 2–1 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Monday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.
Blake Coleman scored for Calgary, beating Jeremy Swayman seven hole for his 12th goal of the season, while Dustin Wolf turned aside 24 of 25 shots in goal for a .960 save percentage.
The game went to overtime, where it ended in unusual fashion. A Bruins own goal sealed the result, with Connor Zary credited for the winner.
The victory was Calgary’s 17th of the season. The Flames move to 38 points and sit one point outside of a playoff spot.
Calgary is back in action on New Year’s Eve, hosting the Philadelphia Flyers at the Saddledome. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.
Earlier in the evening, Canada defeated Denmark 9–1 at the World Junior Championship in Minnesota. Zayne Parekh recorded a goal and an assist as Canada picked up its second three-point win of the tournament.
Canada now leads Group B with eight points and will close out the preliminary round against Finland on New Year’s Eve at 7:30 p.m. CST. Finland sits second with seven points, with first place in the group on the line.
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 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.
Flames Shut Out of Postseason Despite Strong 96-Point Campaign
CALGARY — The Flames came as close as a team can get without crossing the line. Ninety-six points usually secures a playoff berth, but in 2024–25 it did not.
Despite finishing ahead of Eastern playoff teams Montreal and New Jersey, the Flames missed the postseason after tying the St. Louis Blues for the final Wild Card spot in the West. The NHL’s first tie-breaker — regulation wins — tipped the balance. The Blues finished with 32, the Flames with 31. The narrowest of margins decided the playoff race.
The totals painted another layer of frustration. Calgary picked up 14 overtime or shootout losses compared to eight for the Blues. Those points padded the standings but carried no weight in the tie-breaker.
If there is disappointment, there is also optimism. The Wranglers’ pipeline continues to shape the Flames’ roster. Goaltender Dustin Wolf, after back-to-back award-winning seasons in the AHL, started 53 games for the Flames in 2024–25 and posted 29 wins, earning NHL All-Rookie Team honors while finishing just one victory shy of Mike Vernon’s franchise rookie record. Vernon, of course, later backstopped the Flames to their Stanley Cup championship in 1989, a reminder of how impactful a homegrown goaltender can become.
Connor Zary of Saskatoon has now appeared in 117 NHL games, recording 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points with the Flames. Before cementing himself as a regular, he produced 58 points in 72 games with the Wranglers in 2022–23 and added 10 points in 6 games in 2023–24.
Martin Pospisil of Zvolen, Slovakia has logged 144 NHL games, contributing 12 goals and 37 assists for 49 points. Like Zary, he passed through the Wranglers on the way up, tallying 10 points in 20 games in 2022–23 and 6 points in 6 games in 2023–24.
Leadership is another storyline heading into 2025–26. Captain Mikael Backlund has already acknowledged that defenseman Rasmus Andersson may be on his way out, suggesting a trade could be inevitable. Andersson has been a fixture on the Flames’ blue line and a key part of the leadership group, but Backlund’s comments highlight the sense of transition surrounding the roster.
That connection between change and opportunity matters. As the Flames push to convert more overtime games into regulation victories, the solution may already be skating a few feet away in the Wranglers’ locker room at the Saddledome. And with only two years left before the team moves into its new home at Scotia Place, the theme of transition is unavoidable — in the roster taking shape, and in the very building where Flames hockey has lived for nearly four decades.