Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
The Calgary Flames welcomed the Montreal Canadiens to town on Wednesday evening. It was an odd game, which started 10 minutes late due to technical issues, and featured a lot of scoring chances in both directions but only a few goals.
In a game featuring strong goaltending by both Calgary’s Dustin Wolf and Montreal’s Jakub Dobes, the Flames lost to the Canadiens by a 2-1 score in overtime.
The rundown
This game was a clash between a team that was relying on its structure and speed on the road, and a team that was trying to generate some scoring but having issues executing.
The first period featured a bunch of strong chances for Montreal, particularly as the period wore on. For the most part, Dustin Wolf was up to the challenge, making a bunch of really slick anticipation saves that forced him to move laterally quickly.
Just over 17 minutes in the period, though, Montreal broke through. With Rasmus Andersson in the sin bin for hooking, some nice passing by Montreal set up Zach Bolduc for a one-timer from the slot that beat Wolf to give Montreal a 1-0 edge.
The Flames leave Zach Bolduc wide open on the power play and he makes them pay. It's 1-0 Habs
: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/DnmpuDuPxx
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 23, 2025
First period shots were 10-9 Canadiens. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 7-2 Canadiens and high-dangers were 3-1 Canadiens.
The second period saw the Flames work hard but their execution falter here and there. They had a few breakdowns, particularly on the power play, and Wolf had to make a few scrambly shorthanded saves. But the Flames got more and more looks as the period wore on, and Jakub Dobes had to make a few big stops. (Give the Canadiens credit: they did a nice job largely keeping the Flames’ attackers to the outside as they pressed in the middle frame.)
Second period shots were 18-9 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 11-2 Flames and high-dangers were 3-0 Flames.
Wolf made several more big stops in the early parts of the third period, most impressively a toe save while doing the splits on Nick Suzuki.
DUSTIN WOLF MAKES A RIDICULOUS SAVE
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 23, 2025
The Flames tied things up midway through the third period. Morgan Frost, backchecking, poked the puck off the stick of Noah Dobson. The loose puck was collected by Adam Klapka, who fired a low shot that beat Dobes to tie the game at 1-1.
FLAMES GOAL
Adam Klapka gets the Flames on the board! We are tied up!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 23, 2025
Both teams had good chances in the remainder of the period, but both netminders were rock-solid and this game required extra time.
Third period shots were 10-8 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 8-6 Canadiens and high-dangers were 3-1 Flames.
In overtime, Ivan Demidov made an incredible pass, waiting out the Flames’ defenders and finding Mike Matheson at the far side of the Flames net. Matheson deposited the puck just over Wolf’s pad to give Montreal a 2-1 victory.
Flames lose in overtime.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 23, 2025
Why the Flames got a point
Let’s give credit where it’s due: this was a good road game for Montreal. They got the lead on special teams and at five-on-five they seemed perfectly content to use their in-zone structure to keep the Flames to the outside and minimize rebounds, traffic and secondary chances.
The Flames? They were fine, but they didn’t execute terribly well offensively. Their puck management improved as the game wore on and so they got more chances, but they couldn’t really translate shots and territorial advantage into a ton of really dangerous chances. Their goaltender allowed them to keep it close, though, and that gave them a chance to get a point.
Red Warrior
As per usual, it’s gotta be Dustin Wolf. But let’s give some props to MacKenzie Weegar, who led the Flames in ice time.
Turning point
We’ll cheat and go with two. The first was Wolf’s superb stop on Suzuki early in the third period to hold the score at 1-0. The second was Klapka burying his scoring chance after Montreal’s turnover to tie the game.
This and that
The start of the game was delayed by about 10 minutes due to a lighting malfunction in the Saddledome.
After Burner
Join Ryan Pinder and Robert Munnich right after the game for After Burner!
Up next
The Flames (1-6-1) are headed back on the road. They face the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
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For the first time in his career, Brad Marchand played against the Boston Bruins.
On Tuesday, the Florida Panthers visited the Bruins, defeating their Atlantic Division rivals by a score of 4-3. It happened to be the first time that Marchand returned to Boston since being traded at the 2025 trade deadline. As you can imagine, the ovation he received during a stoppage midway through the first period is something he’ll never forget.
Marchand was drafted 71st overall by the Bruins in the 2006 draft, making his debut wth the team in 2009-10. First first full season in the National Hockey League was in 2010-11, where he scored 21 goals and 41 points in 77 games, helping the Bruins win their first Stanley Cup since 1972.
In total, Marchand played 16 seasons with the Bruins, scoring 422 goals and 976 points in 1,090 games. He was a big part of the Bruins’ runs to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2013 and 2019, as well as their fantastic 2022-23 season. However, the Bruins and Marchand couldn’t agree on a contract, and he was traded to the Panthers before the 2025 trade deadline.
That worked out well for Marchand, as he won his Stanley Cup. In the 2025 post-season, March scored 10 goals and 20 points in 23 games, his second-best post-season performance of his career. In the off-season, Marchand re-signed with the Bruins.
Brady Martin sent back to Ontario Hockey League
Brady Martin’s time in the NHL has come to an end this season. On Wednesday, the Nashville Predators announced that they’ve sent the 18-year-old back to the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League.
#Preds Roster Update: we've assigned forward Brady Martin to the @OHLHoundPower.
Full detailshttps://t.co/8NRobDboXd
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 22, 2025
Martin, 18, was selected fifth overall by the Predators in the 2025 draft after scoring 33 goals and 72 points in 57 games with the Greyhounds in 2024-25. In three games with the Predators this season, the right-shot centre picked up his first career point, an assist.
More importantly for the Predators, Martin didn’t play 10 games, meaning that they didn’t burn a year off his entry-level contract. Depending on how he performs with the Greyhounds in 2025-26, he could earn another shot in the NHL in 2026-27.
Adin Hill out week-to-week for Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without netminder Adin Hill for a while, as head coach Bruce Cassidy noted he’ll be week-to-week.
Hill was injured in Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes on a fairly innocuous play. He left the game and didn’t return. Now listed as week-to-week, the Golden Knights have turned to Akira Schmid, while calling up Carl Lindbom from the American Hockey League.
It’s a tough blow for the Golden Knights, as Hill had strong seasons in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Through five games this season, the 29-year-old had an .888 save percentage and 2.73 goals against average, with a 1-0-2 record.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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So, uh, things are not going great for the Calgary Flames, friends.
The Flames have begun their season with a 1-6-1 record. They have not won a game in regulation yet. They have been out-scored 29-13, and when you factor out their shootout win, they’ve scored a dozen goals over eight games.
So it probably won’t shock you to learn that the Flames are looking for ways to improve offensively, which may involve the trade market. The topic came up on Thursday’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, with Mark Roe and Pierre LeBrun having this exchange:
The Flames are in the midst of a youth movement, folks, and so we would not expect them to send assets out the door in an effort to salvage the season. If we’re being honest, that ship has probably sailed. However, if there are hockey trades to be had that help the Flames both now and in the future, they would probably consider them. (Y’know how they traded for Morgan Frost, a young centre, midway through last season? Something along those lines probably wouldn’t hurt the Flames’ future plans and would help them in the short-term, too.)
In the meantime, the Flames will seek to score some goals and win some games while their general manager will do his level best to help them in both the short and longer-term windows.
The Flames are in Winnipeg on Friday night to visit the Jets.
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Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
The Calgary Flames headed to Winnipeg to face the Jets on Friday evening in a rematch of their tightly-contested battle in Calgary on Monday night. This game was a little more high-scoring, but unfortunately for the Flames it had the same result as Monday’s.
The Flames’ losing streak was extended to eight games (0-7-1) by way of a 5-3 loss to the Jets.
The rundown
The Flames opened the scoring in the first period with the man advantage. Nazem Kadri drew a tripping minor. On the resulting power play, Kadri blasted a one-timer feed from Morgan Frost past Eric Comrie to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.
Nazem Kadri scores his first goal of the season! It comes on the power play! 1-0 Calgary
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 25, 2025
The Flames had some good looks for the remainder of the period, but couldn’t get more pucks past Comrie.
First period shots were 9-5 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 11-9 Flames and high-dangers were 4-2 Flames.
The game got away from the Flames a bit in the early second period.
During a stretch of four-on-four play, Josh Morrissey juked around MacKenzie Weegar in the neutral zone, leading to a two-on-one with Kyle Connor against Jake Bean. Connor converted Morrissey’s pass past Dustin Wolf to tie the game at 1-1.
Kyle Connor ties this game up. Not sure what MacKenzie Weegar was thinking on this play.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 25, 2025
Just over a minute later, the Jets grabbed the lead. Off a face-off win in the Flames’ zone, Morrissey swung low in the zone and threw the puck towards the front of the net. Jonathan Toews, with his skates in the blue paint, redirected the puck past Wolf to give the Jets a 2-1 lead.
Jonathan Toews scores his 2nd goal of the season.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 25, 2025
The Flames challenged for goaltender interference. The league’s verdict? The goal stood: “Video review confirmed the Referee’s call on the ice that the presence of Winnipeg’s Jonathan Toews in the crease did not hinder Dustin Wolf’s ability to play his position prior to Toews’ goal.”
The Flames killed off the delay-of-game minor stemming from the unsuccessful challenge, but Kevin Bahl took a holding minor right after that penalty expired. On the resulting power play, Gabe Vilardi back-handed the puck over Wolf’s outstretched pad to give the Jets a 3-1 lead.
Winnipeg scores on the power play. It's 3-1 Jets
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 25, 2025
A little later, the Flames got one back. Sam Honzek battled for the puck in the neutral zone and came away with it. He passed to Blake Coleman, who spun and found Mikael Backlund in the slot. Backlund deked and fired the puck past Comrie to cut Winnipeg’s lead to 3-2.
Blake Coleman sets up Mikael Backlund for a beautiful goal! The captain gets Calgary back in this game!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 25, 2025
But the Jets got their two-goal back on another power play. With Rasmus Andersson in the box, Vilardi made a nifty backhand pass to set up Alex Iafallo for a one-timer that beat Wolf to give the Jets a 4-2 lead.
Winnipeg scores their 2nd power play goal of the game.
4-2 Jets
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 25, 2025
Second period shots were 16-9 Jets. 5v5 scoring chances were 7-6 Flames and high-dangers were 4-2 Flames.
The Flames inched within one midway through the third period. After killing off a penalty, Backlund had the puck in the corner of the Jets zone and found Coleman in the slot. Coleman beat Comrie to cut Winnipeg’s lead to 4-3.
Mikael Backlund makes an unreal pass to find Blake Coleman alone in the slot and he buries it!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 25, 2025
But the Flames could not get any closer. Vladislav Namestnikov added an empty-netter with Wolf on the bench for the extra attacker to give the Jets a 5-3 victory.
Third period shots were 15-11 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 8-3 Flames and high-dangers were 6-2 Flames.
Why the Flames lost
Five-on-five, the Flames were pretty good against a tuckered Jets team that played the prior evening. They out-shot them 23-17, out-chanced them 26-18 and had a high-danger chance edge of 14-6. That should be enough to win you a lot of games.
But the Flames had an utter lack of discipline. The Jets had eight power plays and scored twice. The Flames also twice took penalties that wiped out significant amounts of power play time. When you can’t get out of your own way, it’s tough to win hockey games
Red Warrior
Let’s jointly give it to the Honzek-Backlund-Coleman line, who were consistently noticeable and chipped in a pair of goals.
Turning point
The Flames led this game until early in the second period. Then the Flames gave up three goals to the Jets over a span of 4:31. The Jets grabbed the lead and the Flames were chasing for the balance of the contest.
This and that
Adam Klapka fought Logan Stanley in the first period. It was one of the biggest fights in Flames history, in terms of the combined height of the combatants.
We got two giants dropping the gloves!
6'8 Adam Klapka
6'7 Logan Stanley
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 25, 2025
Zayne Parekh was moved up to the first power play unit for this contest. They scored a power play goal and he registered the second assist, so that’s a positive.
Sam Honzek’s assist on Backlund’s goal was his first NHL point.
After Burner
Join Mike Gould and Kent Wilson right after the game for After Burner!
Up next
The Flames (1-7-1) are headed home. They host the New York Rangers on Sunday night.
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The Calgary Wranglers got fired up for their home opener on Friday night, which unfortunately conflicted with one exciting Toronto Blue Jays World Series game. The crowd was limited for this game, with a reported attendance of 3,638, but the AHL squad still put on quite the show for the first game of the season in front of their fans. With control of the game and a lead for the majority of it, unfortunately things slipped in the end and Calgary fell 5-4 in overtime.
Lineup notes
With Dryden Hunt’s call-up, Calgary was down their top liner. In return, they did get Daniil Miromanov after he was put on waivers for the purpose of AHL assignment and cleared. Hunt out of the lineup gives one more spot for some of the regular forwards that have been switching out in these two game sets.
Wranglers lines
William Stromgren – Rory Kerins – Matvei Gridin
Martin Frk – Sam Morton – Andrew Basha
Aydar Suniev – Clark Bishop – Carter King
Alex Gallant – David Silye – Lucas Ciona
Artem Grushnikov – Daniil MIromanov
Nick Cicek – Hunter Brzustewicz
Yan Kuznetsov – Jeremie Poirier
Owen Say
Ivan Prosvetov
Game at a glance
Owen Say got the start for Calgary for his second start in a row. On the other end of the ice, Nikke Kokko was between the pipes for Coachella Valley. The Wranglers had a very energetic start for this first game at home and after getting the first few looks, go the first power play chance just 2:54 in.
This helped drive some other chances on goal and at 6:25, Wranglers Captain, Clark Bishop scored his first of the season off a set up from Andrew Basha and Nick Cicek.
Just about a minute and a half later, Rory Kerins was sprung on a breakaway and scored off a well placed bar down shot. Matvei Gridin and William Stromgren assisted on this second goal of the game.
Scory Rory on the breakawaypic.twitter.com/mvggzNZDcP
— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) October 25, 2025
After these two early goals, the Firebirds took a timeout and took a little pressure off. The Wranglers were called for their first penalty at 10:08 then in the dying seconds of the power play, Jakov Novak buried a rebound at 11:55 to put the Firebirds within one.
The Firebirds were buzzing after that goal but the Wranglers managed to reel it back and even things out once again. There wasn’t any additional scoring for the rest of the period and Calgary held a 2-1 lead after one complete period. Shots after the first were 15-11 Calgary.
In the second, the Firebirds made a goaltending switch, putting Victor Ostman in and the Wranglers continued to push the offensive zone and looked to put some space between them and their division rivals.
It continued to be the home team getting the majority of the chances and by the midway mark, they pulled ahead by another goal. Matvei Gridin scored his third goal in as many games with a set up from William Stromgren and Rory Kerins to make it a 3-1 game.
Later in the period, Artem Grushnikov took an interference penalty and Jacob Melanson was called for tripping right at the end of the second. His penalty would carry over to start the third. After two complete periods, the Wranglers led 3-1 and outshot Coachella Valley in the middle frame 16-6.
After the Wranglers power play came and went in the beginning of the third, the Firebirds managed to put another goal up on the board with Jagger Firkus on his own on a two on one and opted for a quick release shot that beat Say at 2:58.
The Wranglers took a penalty shortly after but this one went their way with captain Clark Bishop scoring the team’s first shorthanded goal of the season. David Silye picked up the lone assist.
On that same Firebirds power play about a minute later, Logan Morrison scored on the power play to put Coachella Valley back within one. At 16:29, Ian McKinnon and Lucas Ciona exchanged a few hits that then turned into a fight.
Lucas Ciona vs. Ian McKinnonpic.twitter.com/RnNIdwUFTV
— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) October 25, 2025
In the dying minutes, the Firebirds pulled Ostman at 17:24 and four seconds later, Jagger FIrkus picked the top corner and scored again to tie this game up. Regulation came to an end without a decision so the Wranglers went to overtime for their third game in a row.
Rory Kerins, Clark Bishop and Daniil Miromanov were the first three on the ice and Miromanov got the only Wranglers look in overtime.
10 seconds after this chance, Jacob Melanson scored the game winning goal off a breakaway that he finished off with a backhand flip. The Wranglers delayed clearing the bench and Clark Bishop was talking to the officials but then they accepted their fate. However, Alex Gallant ended up with an abuse of officials call that was not announced at the game or shown on the broadcast.
The final score was 5-4 Firebirds and shots finished 37-26 Calgary. When Head Coach Brett Sutter reflected on the game he said,
Scoring stat summary
Rory Kerins – 1G, 1A
William Stromgren – 2A
Matvei Gridin – 1G, 1A
Clark Bishop – 2G
David Silye – 1A
Nick Cicek – 1A
Andrew Basha – 1A
Highlights
Next up
The rematch between these two will be Saturday night with an hour earlier start time. Puck drop goes at 6:00 p.m. MT.
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The Calgary Wranglers looked to play a more complete game on Saturday after narrowly falling to the Firebirds in their home opener when they took their foot off the gas. Saturday’s game didn’t have quite the same energy as the night before, but they managed to pick up a win in regulation and beat the Seattle Kraken affiliate 4-3.
Lineup notes
Just a few changes took place in this game after their overtime loss on Friday. Parker Bell slotted back into the lineup and with Dryden Hunt getting re-assigned to the Wranglers earlier in the day, he was also available for this game. Coming out of the lineup were Lucas Ciona and Alex Gallant. Calgary swapped things around in net for this game and went back to Ivan Prosvetov in net.
Wranglers lines
William Stromgren – Rory Kerins – Matvei Gridin
Dryden Hunt – Sam Morton – Martin Frk
Aydar Suniev – Clark Bishop – Andrew Basha
Parker Bell – Carter King – David Silye
Nick Cicek – Hunter Brzustewicz
Yan Kuznetsov – Jeremie Poirier
Artem Grushnikov – Daniil Miromanov
Ivan Prosvetov
Game at a glance
Ivan Prosvetov took his respective spot between the pipes. Then the Firebirds opted to continue with Victor Ostman, who played over 40 minutes in relief in Friday’s game. It was a pretty even start and early in the first, Sam Morton netted his first goal of the season with a well placed top corner shot set up by Dryden Hunt. Martin Frk picked up the secondary assist.
About five minutes later, the first penalty of the game was called against the Wranglers when William Stromgren was tagged for hooking. After this penalty was killed off, Calgary had a good push for the rest of the period and Martin Frk had one of the best looks on the doorstep in the last couple of minutes of the frame.
Right at the 20 minute mark, Jeremie Poirier was called for tripping, so his penalty would carry into the second period. Headed into the first intermission, the Wranglers led the Firebirds 1-0 and had an 11-7 edge in shots.
The Wranglers started this period off as well with another goal in the first five minutes. Dryden Hunt helped set up another goal when he crashed the zone and caught Hunter Brzustewicz on his own. Hunt threw the pass up to his defender to take the shot past Ostman. Sam Morton also assisted on this marker for his second point of the night.
The Firebirds got on the board about two and a half minutes later when the Wranglers were behind on the rush, and Carson Rehkopf scored on Prosvetov back door. This goal came exactly seven minutes into the frame.
It took some review as there was an earlier shot that may have crossed the line when Artem Grushnikov accidentally deflected the puck when it was popped up around the net. The review looked as if Grushnikov’s play put the puck past the line but after review, they kept Rehkopf’s goal as the official marker and continued play.
After the midway mark, there was a bit of a scrambled play when Ivan Prosvetov was without his stick. Hunter Brzustewicz stepped up with a block in front that likely saved a goal. After a few stressful seconds, they managed to clear the zone without any damage to the scoreboard.
There were a couple more chances before the end of the period but the score remained 2-1 at the end of 40 minutes. Coachella Valley took a lead in shots in the middle frame, outshooting Calgary 13-7 in the second.
The Wranglers didn’t get the early goal in the third and instead, the Firebirds tied things up just 2:04 in. Lukas Dragicevic took a shot that cleanly beat Prosvetov five hole. The Wranglers wanted to prevent the mistakes of the night before and Brett Sutter did some line shuffling to try and get his team back ahead in this competition after a few minutes of play in the third.
By the nine minute mark, the lead was the Wranglers once again with another goal from Sam Morton right in the slot. The passing play gave points to Matvei Gridin and Daniil Miromanov for their assists.
Less than a minute later, the Firebirds were called for a too many men bench minor and while the Wranglers had a few shots on this power play, they weren’t able to add some insurance to their lead.
At 14:17, Jeremie Poirier and David Goyette had some words for each other and got into a little altercation. This resulted in offsetting roughing minors against the two. At 18:28, Coachella Valley pulled Ostman for the empty attacker and Hunter Brzustewicz went for the empty netter at 19:03 for his second goal of the night as well. Brzustewicz’s goal was assisted by Matvei Gridin and Clark Bishop.
never doubt the insurance goal
pic.twitter.com/g12FJU801v
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) October 26, 2025
Ostman came back out for the faceoff and another roughing call was dealt to the Wranglers. This time to Dryden Hunt. Victor Ostman went back to the bench after this call and with eight seconds left in regulation, the Firebirds added another. Oscar Fisker Molgaard scored the final goal of the game.
The last eight seconds elapsed and the Wranglers picked up their first regulation win of the season and earned the split on the series. The final score was 4-3 and shots were 27-26 for Coachella Valley.
After the game, Hunter Brzustewicz spoke to the media and reflected on his game and how the team has been doing, saying:
Brzustewicz continued:
Scoring stat summary
Dryden Hunt – 2A
Matvei Gridin – 2A
Clark Bishop – 1A
Daniil Miromanov – 1A
Martin Frk – 1A
Sam Morton – 2G, 1A
Hunter Brzustewicz – 2G
Highlights
Next up
The Wranglers’ homestand was brief as they head on the road to play the Abbotsford Canucks for their first mid-week series of the season. They play this upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday, with both games getting started at 8:00 p.m. MT.
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Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
For the first time this season, the Calgary Flames have won a game in regulation.
The Flames hosted the New York Rangers on Sunday night at the Saddledome. The Flames scored first, led for the vast majority of the game, and got enough big stops from their netminder to hold on for a 5-1 victory.
The rundown
The Flames had a really nice first period, moving well, moving the puck well and creating offensive chances with the puck. They opened the scoring as a result of this good hockey.
A couple of the Flames’ vets set up a nice play in the Rangers zone that caused a goal. Nazem Kadri corralled the puck, made a nice give-and-go with Jonathan Huberdeau, and finished the play off with a wrister past Igor Shesterkin to make it 1-0 Flames.
Nazem Kadri opens the scoring early in the 1st period with a snipe
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 27, 2025
A little later, the Flames added to their lead off a nice shot. Kevin Bahl got the puck at the point and opted to fire it on net. With Alexis Lafreniere lingering in front, Bahl’s shot beat Shesterkin glove-side to make it 2-0 Flames.
Kevin Bahl beats Igor Shesterkin clean with a wrist shot from the point!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 27, 2025
As they were announcing the Bahl goal, Connor Zary lost track of his man in the neutral zone – he was trying to support pressure on the puck carrier and the pass got through – and Noah Laba took advantage of a clear lane to the net to drive to the front and beat Dustin Wolf glove-side to cut Calgary’s lead to 2-1.
Here is the Ranger goal. Connor Zary loses his man and Dustin Wolf can't bail him out.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 27, 2025
First period shots were 12-5 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 11-7 Flames and high-dangers were 5-4 Flames.
The Rangers pushed back in the second period, as the Flames made a few puck management miscues. However, Wolf made several big stops to keep the Flames in front.
The Rangers had a three-on-two rush that resulted in no strong chance, and the puck went the other way. Zary made a great one-on-one play against a defender and fed Yegor Sharangovich in front. Shesterkin made the initial stop on the shot, but the puck ricocheted in off his arm to make it 3-1 Flames.
Connor Zary makes a great play to find Yegor Sharangovich in the slot for his 1st goal of the season!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 27, 2025
As we noted, Wolf made several big sops, including a paddle save late in the second period.
Dustin Wolf makes a couple massive saves in a row!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 27, 2025
Second period shots were 13-11 Rangers. 5v5 scoring chances were 10-7 Rangers and high-danger chances were 7-5 Rangers.
Midway through the third period, the Flames added some insurance. The Rangers whiffed on a scoring chance on the power play and Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman went the other way on a two-on-rush rush. Coleman finished their passing sequence with a back-door tap-in to make it 4-1 Flames.
Backlund and Coleman connect for a shorthanded beauty! It's 4-1 Calgary!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 27, 2025
Coleman made it 5-1 late in the third period, chucking the puck on net for an intended Backlund deflection but having the puck bonk in off Lafreniere instead.
The Flames are finally getting some bounces to go their way! Blake Coleman's shot finds it's way to the back of the net. That's his 5th goal of the season.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 27, 2025
The Flames held on for the 5-1 win.
Third period shots were 13-7 Rangers. 5v5 scoring chances were 9-5 Rangers and high-dangers were 3-0 Rangers.
Why the Flames won
Well, scoring more than two goals was a big one.
But let’s be honest here: the Flames did a lot of good things with the puck and were rewarded. And when they made miscues, Wolf was very sharp behind them. When you get goals and goaltending, and stay out of the penalty box, you tend to get rewarded.
Red Warrior
Let’s give it to Coleman, who scored twice. But Wolf was really sharp when the game was close, too.
Turning point
Let’s go with Wolf’s paddle save in the third period. If that shot goes in, the Flames might be a bit more nervous into the third period.
This and that
Matt Coronato was a healthy scratch.
Adam Fox was traded to Carolina in 2018, and fans still boo him whenever he touches the puck on Saddledome ice. Flames fans hold grudges.
After Burner
Join Mike Gould and Cami Kepke right after the game for After Burner!
Up next
The Flames (2-7-1) are headed on the road. They start a four game eastern road swing on Tuesday night when they head to the centre of the hockey world to face the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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For the first time since opening night, the Calgary Flames have made it back into the win column.
The Flames beat the New York Rangers on Sunday night by a 5-1 score. While they’re still way behind where they want to be, they’re definitely sleeping better than they were on Saturday night.
As the Flames prepare for a strenuous four game road trip, let’s check into the mailbag!
Right now, I don’t think so… yet. I think Devin Cooley performed really well in the one start he had in Utah and that probably took the proverbial heat off Craig Conroy to make any moves in regards to goaltending. That said, Cooley’s next start will be equally important as he tries to establish himself as a reliable option for Ryan Huska to lean on going forward.
I don’t think the backup job is settled quite yet, but it’s less of a primary concern than it was a week or two ago.
In terms of places that feel like they make sense to me, I’d go Dallas, Vegas, Carolina, Toronto and New Jersey.
In terms of packages, a lot of it would depend on the dynamics of the trade. I’ve said it before: if I’m the Flames, I’d very much like to get a first-round pick, a good prospect or a young roster player from the transaction. Ideally all three, but I would “settle” for two out of three.
We keep hearing from media types that Colorado, Vancouver or Toronto would be fits for Nazem Kadri. I really like the Vancouver fit, as adding him would really help their centre slotting a lot. I have no idea how teams would accommodate Kadri’s $7 million cap hit, though.
The phrase often used is “if Wayne Gretzky can be traded, anybody can be traded.” But considering how crucial MacKenzie Weegar is to the Flames on and off the ice, and how palatable his contract and cap hit are, I don’t think he’s going anywhere. He’s expressed his commitment to what the Flames are building, and I don’t think that’s going to change anytime soon.
On a scale from 1-10, with 10 being best, where are the Flames now? And might there be truth that the Flames are in tanking mode?
— Ed Helinski
(@MrEd315) October 26, 2025
I would say the Flames are 3 out of 10 right now in terms of where they are versus where they want to be. They’ve captured 5 of a possible 20 points to begin the season, and they’re going to be chasing it a bit from here on out in terms of trying to make the playoffs – which remains their goal for the season.
I don’t think the Flames are in tanking mode quite yet. But if they can’t use Sunday’s win as a springboard to more on-ice progress, that tune could change fairly quickly.
The Flames won on Sunday, so the losing streak won’t hit double-digits. I don’t think the Flames are in any hurry to make a coaching change, even with their slow start. Huska’s been a big part in creating the team’s style and culture and unless the players start rejecting it or tuning him out, I think he’s around for awhile.
Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)
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Welcome to the first edition of my new weekly column where I will give some thoughts and opinions on all things Calgary Flames. I chose a good time to start this up with because of the storylines developing around the Flames.
From a results perspective, the start to this season could not have gone worse for the Flames. They are a Stuart Skinner brain fart away from going 1-9-1.
From a long term perspective, this isn’t the worst thing to happen. The Flames need to begin a full on rebuild if they want to acquire the elite talent they’ll need to become a contender in the future.
This group is not good enough to make the playoffs, let alone win a series. This is the fourth year that this core group has been together and they haven’t made the post-season or shown that they could be a post-season threat if they did make it. It’s time to blow it up and build for the future.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into some other Flames topics!
Get the “for sale” sign out
The first order of business for Craig Conroy this week is to call every GM in the NHL and let them know that nearly every player on the Flames roster is for sale.
Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson, Blake Coleman, Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Yegor Sharangovich, Ryan Lomberg, Justin Kirkland, Jake Bean, Joel Hanley, and Brayden Pachal should all be on the market.
Conroy should set his price for each player, and if a team meets it, pull the trigger on a deal any time between now and the trade deadline.
There is no point in waiting to see if the team pulls themselves out of this hole. This season is over from a making the playoffs perspective. It’s time to move on and start collective assets.
There aren’t any teams that are true sellers at the moment. The Flames could do themselves a favour by putting their players on the trade market and try to take advantage of desperate teams looking to add to their team now. Conroy could theoretically create a bidding war for his players since they are the only ones who will be available in a deal this early in the season.
Goal scoring issues shouldn’t surprise anyone
The Flames have scored an abysmal 20 goals in ten games this season. At some point they will start scoring more goals, this pace is unsustainably bad.
But it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are struggling to score goals this year based on what we saw in the 2024-25 campaign.
The Flames played 61 games from Oct. 19 – Mar. 16 last season. In those 61 games, they scored 147 goals which was dead last in the NHL. The next closest team was the Nashville Predators who scored 162 goals. The gap between the Flames and the 31st team was 15 goals during that span. 15 GOALS!
For 75% of the season the Calgary Flames were by far the worst offensive team in the NHL.
That has carried over into this season. Nearly every player has not played up to their potential throughout the first 10 games.
This team will start scoring goals at a respectable rate at some point this year. We just don’t know when.
Nazem Kadri’s future
What is going through Nazem Kadri’s head right now? He can’t be happy with the outlook of the Calgary Flames season.
The 35 year old has been the best player on the Flames since joining the team as a free agent in the summer of 2022.
Kadri is one of the most competitive players in the NHL. All this guy wants to do is win. And it’s become clear that will not happen in Calgary. It makes sense for both the player and the team to explore a trade.
The good news for Craig Conroy is that Kadri only has a 13 team no trade list which means he can start a bidding war between 18 teams for Kadri’s services.
There are a lot of competitive clubs that are in desperate need for a second line centre. Montreal, Toronto, Carolina, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Colorado, and Minnesota are all teams that could have interest in the 2022 Stanley Cup champ.
The Flames want to keep Kadri around for his 1,000th game. It’s an important milestone for the player and team. But as soon as that night comes to an end, Conroy should be on the phones shopping his best forward.
Dustin Wolf is back
Let’s finish with a couple positives.
Dustin Wolf has found his game again. I’m not saying that his first five starts were all that bad. His numbers were not good but when you watch the goals that were scored, there weren’t many, if any, you’d truly blame on the second year goaltender.
Over the last four games, Wolf is controlling what he can control, and that’s keeping the puck out of the Flames net.
In his last four starts, Wolf has a .923 save percentage, 2.27 goals against average, and has only allowed 9 goals against.
The eye test is where Dustin Wolf has impressed the most. He consistently makes game changing saves to keep the Flames in a lot of these games. Just check out some of the stops he’s made last week.
Dustin Wolf goes post to post and makes an incredible save!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 23, 2025Dustin Wolf bails out Rasmus Andersson. What a save!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 23, 2025DUSTIN WOLF MAKES A RIDICULOUS SAVE
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 23, 2025Dustin Wolf makes an incredible save! He robs Mika Zibanejad on a breakaway
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 27, 2025Has Huska found a partner for MacKenzie Weegar?
Jake Bean has been the target of a lot of criticism since joining the Flames in 2024, for good reason. He has been wildly inconsistent since joining the Flames in 2024.
He had a brutal 2025 pre-season and got off to a bad start on a pairing with Zayne Parekh on the third pairing.
But it looks like Bean has started to show signs of the player the Flames wanted him to be when they signed him as a free agent.
What changed? He’s been playing on a pair with MacKenzie Weegar.
Weegar and Bean have put up some impressive numbers together.
I don’t know how much of this has to do with Weegar propping up his defence partner like he has during his entire run in Calgary. Or if it’s the fact that Bean is a good fit stylistically. Regardless, it’s working so far.
For Weegar and the Flames sake, let’s hope they can continue to dominate their minutes together. Keeping Weegar happy is going to be an important job for Ryan Huska and Craig Conroy in what looks like another year of no playoffs in Calgary.
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Hunter Laing is off to a great start this season.
This is the Oct. 20-27 edition of the Flames prospect round-up, where we look at how Flames prospects have done every week. Specifically, we’ll look at players playing overseas, in junior hockey, or at the college level, as the American Hockey League prospects will have an article of their own in the Wranglers recaps.
Let’s take a look at the week that was!
Cole Reschny
This week, Cole Reschny and Cade Littler played two games for the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, splitting the two games against Clarkson University. They fell 5-2 in the opener, but won the second game 1-0. Reschny was held pointless in their loss, but had an assist in their 1-0 win. Through six games, he has a goal and four points, and is a -3.
This weekend, the Fighting Hawks are in NCHC action, hosting Minnesota Duluth for two games on Friday and Saturday.
Cullen Potter
Cullen Potter and the Arizona State University Sun Devils were off this week. Potter still has three assists in six games, as they play two games at Miami (Ohio) on this weekend on Friday and Saturday.
Theo Stöckselius
Theo Stöckselius remains out of action, as he still has a goal and nine points in seven games. Djurgårdens IF U20 was in action this week, falling 3-2 to Mora IK U20 in overtime, before defeating Leksands IF U20 by a score of 4-3.
This coming week, Djurgårdens IF U20 will play MoDo Hockey U20 on Saturday and IF Björklöven U20 on Sunday, both games are on the road.
Mace’o Phillips
This past week, Flames’ third-rounder Mace’o Phillips was out of action, as he has a goal and three points in eight games this season. His Green Bay Gamblers played two games against the Chicago Steel in United States Hockey League action, falling 4-2 in the first game before winning the second game 6-3.
This week, the Gamblers head on the road to face the Waterloo Black Hawks on Friday and Dubuque Fighting Saints on Saturday.
Ethan Wyttenbach
Ethan Wyttenbach and Quinnipiac University were busy this past week, defeating Holy Cross 4-1 and New Hampshire 2-0, but falling 4-1 to Trevor Hoskin and Merrimack. Wyttenbach picked up an assist in both the Holy Cross and Merrimack games, giving him four goals and eight points in eight games.
Quinnipiac don’t play this coming week, returning to action the following week with games against Alaska Fairbanks, Yale, and Brown.
Jakob Leander
Jakob Leander and HV71 U20 played two games this past week, defeating Malmö Redhawks U20 by a score of 6-2 before falling 7-3 to Rögle BK U20. In their 7-3 loss, the right-shot defenceman picked up an assist, giving him a goal and four points in 13 games this season.
HV71 U20 play another game against Rögle BK U20 on Friday at home, before facing Malmö Redhawks U20 at home on Saturday.
Yan Matveiko
Yan Mateviko, drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 draft by the Flames, played three games this past week with Krasnaya Armiya. They defeated Avto 6-2, fell 2-1 in overtime to Dinamo-Shinnik, before getting revenge on Dinamo-Shinnik with a 4-1 win the following day. Matveiko picked up an assist in each of their wins, giving him six goals and 16 points in 17 games this season.
Coming up for Krasnaya Armiya are two road games, one against Stalnye Lisy on Wednesday and Krylya Sovetov on Monday.
Jacob Battaglia
Kingston Frontenacs’ captain Jacob Battaglia played two games this past week, falling 6-3 to the Guelph Storm and 4-1 to the Niagara IceDogs. The Flames’ second-rounder in 2024 finished as a -4, giving him six goals and 10 points 11 games this season.
This week, the Frontenacs head to Peterborough to face the Petes on Saturday, before hosting the London Knights on Sunday.
Henry Mews
This week, right-shot defenceman Henry Mews and the University of Michigan played two games against Western Michigan, defeating them 4-0 in the first game, before suffering their first loss the following day, losing 5-2. In both games, Mews picked up an assist, giving him seven apples in eight games this season.
This weekend, the Wolverines head on the road to face Notre Dame for two games on Friday and Saturday.
Kirill Zarubin
Kirill Zarubin and Mikhailov Academy had a busy, perfect week, defeating JHC Atlant 6-5, Irbis by a score of 2-1 in overtime, and Kuznetskie Medvedi 5-2. Zarubin played in all three games, stopping 21 of 26 shots in their 6-5 win, 31 of 32 shots in their 2-1 overtime win, and 22 of 24 shots in their 5-2 win. This season, Zarubin has a .924 save percentage and 2.14 goals against average in 14 games played.
Mikhailov Academy play just one game this week, hosting HC Kapitan on Friday.
Trevor Hoskin
Trevor Hoskin and Merrimack played two games this week, defeating Ethan Wyttenbach 4-1 but falling 5-2 to Long Island University. In their victory, Hoskin picked up his first goal of the season, but was held pointless in their loss. Through five games this season, the Flames’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft has two goals and five points.
Merrimack play just one game this week, playing a road game against Connecticut on Saturday.
Luke Misa
This past week, Luke Misa and the Penn State Nittany Lions played two games, defeating Stonehill 3-2 and 4-2. In their 4-2 victory, Misa picked up his first point of the season, an assist, playing eight games this season.
FROM DOWNTOWN!!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/KzM5A9zp63
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) October 25, 2025
Penn State heads on the road to play Ohio State in a two-game set on Thursday and Friday in Big Ten action.
Hunter Laing
Hunter Laing and the Saskatoon Blades played two games this past week, falling 3-2 to the Everett Silvertips and 6-3 to the Portland Winterhawks. In their 3-2 loss, Laing scored two goals and was held pointless in the other games, giving him six goals and 12 points in 11 games this season.
The Blades continue their United States road trips, playing the Tri-City Americans on Tuesday, the Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday, the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday, and the Wenatchee Wild on Saturday.
Eric Jamieson
Eric Jamieson was picked in the sixth round of the 2024 draft just like Laing, and he scored his second goal of the season in Denver University’s 7-3 win over Boston College. Unfortunately, they fell 1-0 to Northeastern in the following game. With the goal, the left-shot defenceman now has two goals and four points in six games.
This week, the Pioneers host Alaska Anchorage for two games, one on Friday and one on Saturday.
Jaden Lipinski
Jaden Lipinski and Maine were in action this week, losing 3-2 to Colgate, before winning their other game against Colgate by a score of 3-2 in overtime.The Flames’ fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft was held pointless, giving him two goals and five points in six games this season.
This coming week, Maine hosts Boston University for two games, one on Friday and the other on Saturday.
Yegor Yegorov
Yegor Yegorov and JHC Spartak MHA played two games this past week. They defeated Yegorov’s former team, Krylya Sovetov, by a score of 7-1, before defeating JHC Atlant 2-1. Yegorov played both games, stopping 29 of 30 shots against his former team, as well as 31 of 32 shots against JHC Atlant. The Flames’ sixth-rounder in 2023 now has a .926 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average nine games this season.
Next up for JHC Spartak MHA are two home games. One comes against AKM-Yunior on Friday, and the other against JHC Spartak on Monday. No, JHC Spartak and JHC Spartak aren’t the same team. Russia is confusing.
Axel Hurtig
Axel Hurtig and the Calgary Hitmen played two games this week, defeating the Red Deer Rebels 2-1 and the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2. Hurtig had an assist in the 3-2 win, giving the left-shot defenceman two goals and three points in eight games.
This week, the Hitmen will host the Rebels on Wednesday, before a road trip where they’ll face the Prince Albert Raiders and Brandon Wheat Kings.
Cade Littler
As noted at the start of the article, North Dakota split the two games they played this week against Clarkson, falling 5-2 in one and defeating them 1-0 in the other. Littler was held pointless in both games, but had a minor penalty in their loss. This season, the Flames’ seventh-round pick in 2022 has a goal and three points in five games.
Next up for North Dakota are two home matchups against Minnesota Duluth on Friday and Saturday.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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The Calgary Flames got some goals from some snakebitten sources, but the turnovers ultimately led to a 4-3 regulation loss in Toronto.
CF% – 51.74%|| SCF% – 57.19%|| HDCF% – 67.93%|| xGF% – 66.33%
It’s a Team Game – As a team the Flames should really want that one back. Chance advantages in each frame, goals from sources that have been quiet all season (despite really strong play – looking at you Farabee and Honzek), and a 5v5 structure that was really working. Individual mistakes made in really bad spots led to this loss. Defensive zone turnovers, misplayed coverages, and bad clear attempts all ended up giving the Leafs uncontested looks directly in front of Dustin Wolf. They were able to make Calgary pay dearly for those and as such Calgary lost the game in regulation. Cleaning up those mental mishaps and keeping the same pace of play as the last three games should lead to some more wins, but there’s no guarantee those mistakes disappear.
Corsi King – Morgan Frost (73.23 CF%) has found some great chemistry on the Flames top line. Not only did he score on a classic Huberdeau (62.58 per cent) rush pass for a tap-in, he was also making great little passes to Nazem Kadri (70.44 per cent) who could not buy one. Kadri was all over the ice in his old barn – really set himself apart as a noticeable force for the Flames on the attack. He’s started to let his shot rip a little more and is getting back into the game he was playing during that fire stretch last year where he was producing almost daily. Calgary needs that to continue – the turnovers should limit themselves somewhat going forward – he just has to keep focusing on driving play into the attacking zone and capitalizing.
Under Pressure –
Taken By Chance – Kevin Bahl (40.12 SCF% // 18.90 HDCF%) wasn’t the guy turning the puck over, but almost every time that did happen, he wasn’t in the right spot to defend properly. The Mikael Backlund (35.80 per cent // 53.55 per cent) that left Knies alone in front with 30 seconds to go was bad, only beat by the terrible clearing attempt that led to the game winning goal with just over 2 minutes to play. For a team that struggles for offence so much tying the game late and then promptly blowing it? Takes a lot of wind out of the sails. The team still fought hard but should have never needed to happen that way.
xG Breakdown –
xGF% – Let’s celebrate the other goal scorers because both of them deserved a geno. Joel Farabee (74.30 per cent) has been raved about in these for 11 straight games now. Incredible start to the season on the process side, but he was met by a high-quality save after high-quality save that kept the goal column a goose egg. I really hope this unlocks some sort of hidden offensive burst, but I’m not going to get ahead of myself there. Before the season I was ready to move on from him, but currently he’s cemented as a top 9 winger that should not see the press box anytime soon. Samuel Honzek (54.44 per cent) also scored his first NHL goal. Similar to Farabee, Honzek had been all around the net. He’s played a very strong, and simple, north/south game that’s kept him in the lineup nightly. Takes his chances in good spots, limits turnovers, and also deserves to play. When Martin Pospisil comes back, he may take some nights off – there’s not enough roster spots for roster players – but he’s shown he can be here regularly. Next step is finding a way to get into even better scoring positions and producing in those areas.
Game Flow –
Game Score –
Shot Heatmap –
In The Crease – Poor Dustin Wolf. Three turnovers leading to point blank attempts with zero resistance from any skater. I’d be pissed off. All of those left their star goaltender out to dry and those needs corrected immediately. Hard to blame Wolf for what occurred, especially when he is always stealing other goals away with great saves every single period. This teams defensive flaws aren’t going to magically fix themselves, there’s people on that blue line playing in spots they have never played in before. There are guys who have shown to be depth pieces playing big minutes in big spots. Until the blueline gets fixed this may happen more than I’d like, but with Dustin Wolf back there I have a lot of hope.
The Goals –
The Huberdeau-Kadri-Frost line stays hot as they connect for the first goal of the game!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 28, 2025
Finally! Joel Farabee picks up his first goal of the season! He's been getting a ton of chances this season.
It's good to see him put one away.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 28, 2025
SAM HONZEK SCORES HIS FIRST NHL GOAL!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 29, 2025
Flash’s 3 Stars –
1) Nazem Kadri
2) Joel Farabee
3) Morgan Frost
LETS GO BLUE JAYS
(Stats compiled from Naturalstattrick.com // Game Score from Hockeystatcards.com // xG and Under Pressure charts from HockeyViz.com // Game Flow and Shot Heatmap from NaturalStatTrick.com)
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The Calgary Flames hit the practice ice at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ontario on Wednesday afternoon to prepare for their Thursday night clash with the Ottawa Senators.
Sportsnet’s Derek Wills shared forward lines and defensive pairings from Wednesday’s skate:
The forward lines were back to the four lines they used in Sunday’s home win over the New York Rangers: Nazem Kadri between Jonathan Huberdeau and Morgan Frost, Mikael Backlund between Sam Honzek and Blake Coleman, Yegor Sharangovich between Connor Zary and Joel Farabee, and Justin Kirkland with Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka. Frost, Honzek and Farabee all scored against Toronto on Tuesday night.
The defensive pairings are all pretty familiar ones: Kevin Bahl with Rasmus Andersson, Joel Hanley with MacKenzie Weegar, and Jake Bean with Brayden Pachal.
These groupings leave out two young players: 22-year-old forward Matt Coronato and 19-year-old blueliner Zayne Parekh.
Coronato is in the first year of a seven year, $6.5 million AAV contract that he signed during the off-season. The right shot forward has, admittedly, had a pretty uneven 2025-26 season thus far. He has three points over his first 10 games, but he also has a minus-10 plus/minus rating, tied with MacKenzie Weegar for last on the team.
Meanwhile, Parekh has been similarly uneven. He’s on his entry-level deal and his deal has the potential to not begin until next season, but if he plays in 10 NHL games this season his deal won’t slide and it’ll start to run this season. In nine NHL games so far this season, Parekh has one assist and a minus-1 rating.
The Flames have begun the season with a 2-9-1 record. Given their record, we can understand the temptation to double-down on a veteran-laden roster. That said, the Flames have struggled to score goals, and Coronato and Parekh are two of the most dynamic, creative players in the organization. If you need to score goals, you would probably rather have more players like Coronato and Parekh playing, not fewer. And yeah, they may have occasional defensive foibles, but (a) no more than some of the more established Flames have had this year and (b) you can live with them if they’re creating offence.
We’ll see how the Flames end up looking at Thursday’s morning skate, but if Coronato and Parekh are spectators for the game, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.
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We’re a month into the new season and, as has been well noted, the Calgary Flames have struggled mightily in all facets of the game. They finally ended their losing streak with a 5-1 win over the New York Rangers, but couldn’t carry that momentum into their match-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Flames haven’t had any standout performances that have lasted more than a game or two. Meanwhile, several former Flames began this season with new teams. Do the Flames regret letting any of them go? Or were the right decisions made? Let’s take a look at how these ex-Flames have fared through the first month of the season.
Ilya Solovyov
Starting with the most recent player to don a Flames jersey, Ilya Solovyov began training camp in Calgary. In an effort to keep players such as Jake Bean and Danil Miromanov in the NHL to start the season, the Flames placed Solovyov on waivers, where he was ultimately claimed by the Colorado Avalanche — a move the Flames probably regret now.
Solovyov has suited up in seven of Colorado’s 11 games. While he hasn’t recorded a point yet, offence was never part of his role. His job has been to fill in on the third defensive pairing as needed, and he’s done that effectively. Averaging just under 12 minutes of ice time per game, Solovyov’s role has been limited but well executed. There’s always a chance he could earn more responsibility, but for now he seems to have settled into a steady routine.
Dan Vladar
A solid backup goaltender for the Flames over the past four seasons, Dan Vladar had bigger aspirations of becoming an NHL starter. With Dustin Wolf emerging as Calgary’s goaltender of the future, it became clear that opportunity wasn’t coming with the Flames. When free agency opened this past summer, Vladar signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Beginning the season in a tandem with Samuel Ersson, Vladar has been strong so far, starting five of the Flyers’ first nine games. With a 1.81 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage, he ranks among the league’s top goaltenders through the opening month. It was clear his future wasn’t in Calgary, but it’s great to see Vladar off to such a strong start with his new team.
Anthony Mantha
Anthony Mantha’s stint with the Flames was brief. Brought in last season as a veteran piece likely to be flipped at the trade deadline for future assets, his season ended prematurely with a torn ACL just as he was finding his offensive touch.
The Flames chose not to bring him back, and instead Mantha signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s off to a great start, with five goals and five assists in 11 games — good for fourth in team scoring. In fact, he’d be leading the Flames in points if he were still with the club. It’s always nice to see a player return from a serious injury and perform well. While few expected him to re-sign in Calgary, the Flames could certainly use some of his offence right now.
Andrei Kuzmenko
After a disastrous start to last season, Andrei Kuzmenko nearly played himself out of the NHL. It was a surprise the Flames were able to trade him at all. Initially dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers in the move that brought Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary, Kuzmenko was quickly flipped to the Los Angeles Kings, where he re-signed ahead of this season.
It hasn’t been a standout start for Kuzmenko, but it hasn’t been bad either. In 11 games, he’s recorded two goals and four assists, helping the Kings sit tied for second in the Pacific Division. The Flames may miss his sense of humour, but his on-ice play left a sour taste for many fans. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of success he can find over a full season in Los Angeles.
Jakob Pelletier
This one still stings a bit. A fan favourite and popular teammate, Jakob Pelletier’s trade last season was a tough pill to swallow. He clearly loved playing for the Flames and shared a close bond with several teammates, including Jonathan Huberdeau.
Many hoped the Flames would re-sign Pelletier in the off-season, but the offer never came. Instead, he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Pelletier didn’t make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers. Some thought Calgary might claim him back, but he went unclaimed and began the season in the AHL.
Pelletier has gotten off to a good start with the Syracuse Crunch, recording three goals and four assists in six games — just over a point per game. If he keeps that up, a call-up to Tampa Bay shouldn’t be far off. When that time comes, hopefully he can finally translate his AHL success to the NHL level.
What do you think? Should any of these players still be with the Flames, or were the right decisions made to let them continue their careers elsewhere? Let us know in the comments below.
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Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
After playing a pretty decent game but finding ways to lose on Tuesday in Toronto, the Calgary Flames faced off against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night in the second game of their four game eastern trek.
In a back and forth, and fairly sloppy game, the Flames managed to earn a point via a 4-3 shootout loss to the Senators.
The rundown
The opening period was pretty even, and punctuated by a decent amount of special teams action for both clubs.
Just over four minutes into the first frame, Ridly Greig received a double-minor for high-sticking after his blade whacked Brayden Pachal in the mush. On the ensuing power play, the Flames opened the scoring, as Yegor Sharangovich fired a puck from the left face-off dot that beat Linus Ullmark to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.
Yegor Sharangovich opens the scoring on the power play!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 30, 2025
The Sharangovich goal wiped out the final 32 seconds of the first minor, but left the entire second minor intact. However, the Senators took advantage of the remaining time. After a Flames turnover, Shane Pinto and Lars Eller went in on an odd-man rush. Rasmus Andersson laid out to block the pass, so Pinto opted to shoot. Devin Cooley made the initial stop but the puck bounced right to Eller, who jammed in the rebound to tie the game at 1-1 with a shorthanded goal.
Ottawa ties things up with a short handed goal.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 30, 2025
Later in the period, though, the Flames regained their lead with another power play goal. With Pinto serving a minor, Morgan Frost swung low and fed Matt Coronato in the slot. Ullmark stopped the initial shot, but Coronato got his own rebound and jammed it past the netminder to give the Flames a 2-1 lead.
Matt Coronato scores the Flames second power play goal of the game!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 30, 2025
First period shots were 13-11 Senators. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 5-4 Flames and high-danger chances were 5-3 Flames.
The second period was pretty back and forth. The game was not high-paced and the chances were not high-octane, but both teams had decent looks both at even strength and special teams. Neither team was able to cash in, though.
Second period shots were 11-9 Senators. 5v5 scoring chances were 7-1 Flames and high-danger chances were 2-1 Flames.
Early in the third period, the Senators tied things up. The fourth line got hemmed into their end a bit and the Senators cycled the puck to the point. Artem Zub took advantage of some bodies in front of the net and beat Cooley with a point shot stick-side to knot things up at 2-2.
Artem Zub ties the game for Ottawa
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 31, 2025
Right after the Senators tied the game, they had a couple golden chances to take the lead. On the first, Cooley made a dandy save on Pinto. On the second, Tim Stuetzle hit the post.
The Flames retook the lead midway through the third period. Jonathan Huberdeau poked the puck off Jake Sanderson’s stick in the neutral zone, leading to a rush into the Ottawa end. Huberdeau and Kadri passed the puck back and forth, ending with Kadri beating Ullmark to give the Flames a 3-2 lead.
Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau connect for a beautiful go ahead goal!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 31, 2025
But with just shy of three minutes left in regulation, Ottawa drew even again. With both Jake Bean and MacKenzie Weegar battling with defenders around the net, Sanderson fired a puck on net that found a way through – it looked to have bonked in off of Weegar, who had fallen over – to tie the game up at 3-3.
Ottawa ties this game late in the 3rd period.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 31, 2025
This game was tied through regulation.
Third period shots were 9-8 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 8-4 Senators and high-danger chances were 4-3 Senators.
This game required overtime. The Senators had several good looks but Cooley was sharp. Rasmus Andersson was called for tripping during overtime, but the Flames killed it off and got this game to the shootout.
In the shootout, Drake Batherson and Stuetzle scored for the Senators and the Flames couldn’t solve Ullmark. The Senators won 4-3.
Why the Flames got a point
This game was a bit of a slog, if we’re being honest, with both teams seeming to be fighting it a bit with the puck-handling and puck management. The result was a game that was fairly back and forth, but also punctuated by miscues that either created or dissipated scoring opportunities.
But give the Flames credit: they battled through the muck in this game. While they weren’t nearly as defensively stingy as they typically are, they scored enough and got enough big saves from Cooley to earn a point.
Red Warrior
At the risk of being labelled sentimentalists, we’re going with Cooley. He made a ton of big saves in this game and was consistently sharp during this outing. He gave them a chance, and that’s all that can reasonably be asked of a team’s backup.
Turning point
Sanderson’s tying goal late in regulation was a tough one. It was a tough bounce at a tough time.
This and that
Devin Cooley made his second start with the Flames. Connor Zary and Zayne Parekh rotated out of the lineup in favour of Adam Klapka and Brayden Pachal.
Yegor Sharangovich’s first period goal was his 200th NHL point.
After Burner
Join Dean “Boomer” Molberg and Mike “Mike” Gould right after the game for After Burner!
Up next
The Flames (2-8-2) is back in action on the road on Saturday afternoon when they face the Nashville Predators.
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The Colorado Avalanche have signed one of their forwards for the long haul.
On Thursday, the Avalanche announced that they’ve signed forward Martin Nečas to an eight-year deal with a cap hit of $11.5 million.
MORE MARTY PARTIES IN COLORADOpic.twitter.com/MmnzVEAgp5
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 30, 2025
Originally drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes 12th overall in the 2017 draft, Nečas became a regular in 2019-20. It wasn’t until the 2022-23 season that the right-shot centre broke out, scoring 28 goals and 71 points in 82 games. He reached the 20-goal mark once again in 2023-24, his final full season with the Hurricanes.
Through 49 games, Nečas had 16 goals and 55 points in 49 games, but he was traded to the Hurricanes in the Mikko Rantanen trade. Nečas found success after the trade, scoring 11 goals and 28 points, giving him a career-high 27 goals and 83 points in 79 games.
In 11 games with the Avalanche in 2025-26, Nečas has seven goals and 13 points in 11 games.
Logan Cooley signs long-term extension
Another young player who signed a long-term extension recently is Utah Mammoth forward Logan Cooley. On Wednesday, the Mammoth announced that Cooley has signed an eight-year deal worth $10 million annually.
Utah, Logan Cooley is here to stay!pic.twitter.com/3U1zuzjmnA
— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 29, 2025
Drafted third overall in the 2022 draft by the then Arizona Coyotes, Cooley scored 20 goals and 44 points in 82 games in 2023-24, his rookie season. In his first season in Salt Lake City, Cooley scored 25 goals and 65 points in 75 games.
So far through 11 games, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native has eight goals and 12 points in 11 games, as the Mammoth are off to a strong start. That included a seven-game win streak in October.
Stars and Flyers make a trade
On Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars made a minor trade, as the Stars acquired Samu Tuomaala from the Flyers for Christian Kyrou.
TRADE ALERT
We have acquired forward Samu Tuomaala from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Christian Kyrou.
Tuomaala will be assigned to the @TexasStars.
Welcome to #TexasHockey, Samu! pic.twitter.com/E49sbkcN3n
— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) October 30, 2025
Tuomaala was drafted 46th overall in the 2021 draft. Coming to North America in 2023-24, the Finnish winger scored 15 goals and 43 points in 69 games with the Flyers’ American Hockey League team. He followed that up with an 11-goal, 32-point campaign in 2024-25, where he played 46 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Kyrou, the younger brother of St. Louis Blues’ Jordan Kyrou, was drafted 50th in the 2022 draft by the Stars. A defenceman, Kyrou scored eight goals and 23 points in 57 games in the AHL his rookie season, and followed it up with four goals and 15 points in 36 games last season. Kyrou has played four games this season.
John Tavares reaches 500 goals
Another player has hit a career milestone, as John Tavares scored his 500th goal on Wednesday, becoming just the 49th player in National Hockey League history to do so.
Earlier this season, the 2009 first overall pick became just the fourth player to score 500 points with two different teams, 621 of them came with the New York Islanders, while the rest have come with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Through 11 games this season, Tavares has six goals and 14 points in 11 games. Not too shabby for the 35-year-old.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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The Calgary Flames are off to their worst start in team history with a record of 2-8-2 through 12 games. There are excuses you can make for this club, but ultimately they just aren’t playing good hockey at the moment. Almost every baseline stat would back that up.
As you can see, the Flames counting stats are ugly. But what does the tracking data say about the Flames and some of their players? Let’s do a deep dive and see if we can find any interesting tidbits.
Team speed
It should come as no surprise that the Calgary Flames are one of the slowest teams in the NHL. You can tell by just watching the games that the Flames lack team speed and agility. It’s most evident when you go from watching other teams in the NHL like Colorado, Carolina, Edmonton, and Vegas, to then flipping the channel to a Flames game. There are nights when it’s like watching teams in different leagues.
The Flames rank 29th in speed bursts over 20 MPH with 191. The league average is 246. It doesn’t help that their best skater has been out with an injury for the entire season in Martin Pospisil, who was clocked in as one of the fastest skaters in the NHL last season.
Calgary ranks 25th in 22+ MPH speed bursts with 7 (league average is 14). And they rank 30th in 20-22 MPH speed bursts with 184 (league average is 233)
Their top skating speed this season is 22.87 MPH which came from Ryan Lomberg in Thursday night’s loss to the Ottawa Senators.
Best skaters on the Flames
I mentioned Ryan Lomberg has the fastest Calgary Flame on the season so far with his 22.87 MPH burst on Thursday.
Filling out the top ten max speed bursts on the Flames this season are:
2. Morgan Frost vs St Louis: 22.73 MPH
3. Matt Coronato @ Edmonton: 22.68 MPH
4. Adam Klapka vs St Louis: 22.59 MPH
5. Joel Farabee @ Ottawa: 22.16 MPH
6. Nazem Kadri @ Ottawa: 22.12 MPH
7. Ryan Lomberg @ Edmonton: 22.07 MPH
8. Matt Coronato vs Vegas: 21.95 MPH
9. Joel Farabee @ Edmonton: 21.83 MPH
10. Adam Klapka vs Vegas: 21.76 MPH
It’s interesting to see so many repeat names on this list. Ryan Lomberg, Joel Farabee, Matt Coronato and Adam Klapka are showing through data that they are the four fastest players on this Flames team.
Skating distance
The category that the Flames rank the highest in on NHL Edge is in distance skated. The Flames rank 4th in miles skated with 549.38 this season. Last season they were second in the NHL.
MacKenzie Weegar is ranked 3rd in the NHL in total distance skated at 43.32 miles and it makes sense because he plays in all situations, he gets involved in the rush, and he is third in the NHL in total ice time.
I am not sure exactly how to interpret this information from a team perspective. Does it mean they’re working harder than other teams? Does it have to do with the system they play? Is it because they’re on defence more than they’re on offence?
The Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers led the NHL in average distance skated per 60 minutes last season. Four of the next five teams on this list did not make the playoffs last season in Calgary, Philadelphia, Buffalo and Detroit.
Shot power
The last calendar year has not been successful for Rasmus Andersson. But one thing he can hang his hat on i his ability to rip slap shots. He clocked in with the hardest shot on the team so far this season when he took a 93.52 MPH slap shot against the Winnipeg Jets at the Saddledome. Andersson also has three of the next four hardest shots on the team.
Rounding out the top 10 on this list include Kevin Bahl, Adam Klapka, Sam Honzek, Justin Kirkland and Joel Hanley.
The Flames rank 20th in average shot speed at 58.58 MPH and they rank 23rd in hardest shot at 93.52 MPH.
Shots
The Flames don’t have a problem with shooting the puck. They are 9th in the NHL in shots from all locations with 337. We’ve seen a shift in the way the Flames are playing from their first six games to their last six games.
In the last six games, it looks like Ryan Huska has put a major emphasis on getting pucks to the net and creating havoc around their opponents crease. The Flames are 8th in shot attempts per 60 since Oct. 18.
The thing that is killing this club is their lack of finish. They are dead last in shooting percentage at 7.7% with the league average being 11.1%.
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Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
The Calgary Flames headed to Nashville on Saturday afternoon to face the Predators in the third game of their four game eastern road swing.
The Flames dug themselves a big hole with a flat first period. But they bounced back and tried to dig themselves out in the final 40 minutes. They couldn’t quite pull it off, though, losing a 4-2 contest to the Predators.
The rundown
The Predators scored two goals on consecutive shifts, just 49 seconds apart, midway through the first period
A couple passes and a swap of defenders at the point crossed up the Flames’ in-zone defensive coverage, opening up a shooting lane for Spancer Stastney. His shot was tipped by Michael Bunting, left uncovered at the bottom of the circle, and it beat Dustin Wolf to give Nashville a 1-0 lead.
Michael Bunting opens the scoring for Nashville.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) November 1, 2025
On the very next shift, Bunting’s attempted pass to Matthew Wood was blocked by Yegor Sharangovich. But Wood collected the loose puck, spun and shot it past a screen – two Flames defenders and a Nashville player – and his shot beat Wolf to make it 2-0 Nashville.
That's two shifts in a row where the Flames get hemmed in their own zone. Both result in Nashville goals.
2-0 Preds
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) November 1, 2025
A few minutes later, the Predators added another goal, this time on the power play. Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman were caught up ice after a shorthanded two-on-one rush. The play went three-on-two in the other direction and Jonathan Marchessault received a pass, cut to the net and beat Wolf to make it 3-0 Nashville.
Mikael Backlund is stopped at one end.
Jonathan Marchessault scores at the other.
3-0 Nashville.
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) November 1, 2025
First period shots were 15-11 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 9-8 Predators and high-danger scoring chances were 3-1 Predators.
Devin Cooley entered the game in relief of Dustin Wolf for the second period.
Both teams had some looks, but Nashville seemed perfectly content to keep the clock running and roll their lines so they didn’t really press too much offensively.
Second period shots were 11-7 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 8-8 and high-danger scoring chances were 5-2 Flames.
Early in the third period, the Flames finally scored a goal. After an offensive zone face-off win, Jake Bean’s point shot was stopped by Juuse Saros but Jonathan Huberdeau jammed in the rebound to cut Nashville’s lead to 3-1.
Jonathan Huberdeau puts home a rebound at the side of the net!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) November 1, 2025
The Flames cut Nashville’s lead to one off a nice give-and-go sequence in the offensive zone. Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee exchanged passes, with a Farabee one-timer from the left face-off dot beating Saros to cut the lead to 3-2.
Joel Farabee cuts the Nashville lead to one! He extends his points streak to four games!
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) November 1, 2025
The Flames kept pressing and pulled Cooley for the extra attacker. Filip Forsberg added an empty-netter to ice this one as a 4-2 Predators win.
Third period shots were 9-6 Predators.
Why the Flames lost
In the opening period, the Flames didn’t really adhere to their system and their details were spotty – you can point to breakdowns on the first three goals that gave Nashville great scoring chances on Wolf. They were a lot better in the final 40 minutes and were able to make a game of it, but it just wasn’t enough to make up for their rough early effort.
Red Warrior
We’re gonna give a stick-tap to the Honzek-Backlund-Coleman line. Yes, we’ll acknowledge that Backlund and Coleman got caught up ice on the Marchessault goal. But that trio generated a ton of chances, won a ton of face-offs, and did what they could to create momentum when they were on the ice.
Turning point
The last 10 minutes of the first period were Not Good for the Flames. They never quite dug themselves out of that hole.
This and that
This was just the third time in Wolf’s NHL career that he hasn’t finished a game that he started.
At 2-9-2, the Flames are tied, points-wise, for their worst start in franchise history. They also had six points after 13 games in 1995-96, and ended up making the playoffs that season.
After Burner
Join Cami Kepke and myself right after the game for After Burner!
Up next
The Flames (2-9-2) are off to the City of Brotherly Love. They face the Philadelphia Flyers in the second half of this back-to-back set on Sunday night.
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