The Calgary Flames came into Sunday night desperate to halt a three-game skid on home ice, and for a while, it looked like they were finally going to get back in the win column. They jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a dominant first period, outshooting the Anaheim Ducks 17-2 and looking every bit in control.
But hockey doesn’t reward early dominance-it rewards 60-minute efforts. And once again, the Flames couldn’t close the door.
Despite outshooting Anaheim 35-21 over the course of the game, Calgary let this one slip away in overtime, falling 4-3 and extending their losing streak to four. It was a night that highlighted the team’s ongoing struggle to string together a full, mistake-free performance. Let’s break down the three biggest storylines from a frustrating loss.
Brzustewicz Breaks Through
It wasn’t a highlight-reel goal, but for Hunter Brzustewicz, it was a moment he’ll never forget. The 21-year-old defenseman notched his first NHL goal midway through the first period, sneaking one past Lukas Dostal to give Calgary a 1-0 lead. It took him 18 games to get there-including a single appearance last season-but the milestone is now officially in the books.
Brzustewicz has shown flashes of offensive upside since being called up from the Calgary Wranglers in December, where he tallied four goals and 12 points. And if his junior numbers with the Kitchener Rangers are any indication, there’s plenty more where that came from. The Flames are hoping this is the first of many for the right-shot blueliner.
“It feels really good, it really does,” Brzustewicz said postgame. “Sucks that we couldn’t come out with the win with it, but it felt good in the moment.”
Huberdeau Ends the Drought
While Brzustewicz celebrated his first, Jonathan Huberdeau was finally able to exhale after ending a goal drought that had stretched over 10 games. The veteran winger got on the board early thanks to a strong net drive by Mikael Backlund, who created the chance that Huberdeau buried from in tight.
It’s been a tough stretch for Huberdeau this season. After what looked like a bounce-back year in 2024-25-he scored 28 goals in 81 games-he’s had trouble finding his rhythm in 2025-26.
Sunday’s tally was just his ninth in 46 games. But maybe this is the kind of greasy goal that gets a scorer going again.
The Flames could certainly use a spark from one of their highest-paid players.
Wolf’s January Woes Continue
Dustin Wolf was one of the breakout stories of last season, but his sophomore campaign has been more of a grind. He came into Sunday’s game with a 3.00 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage-numbers that don’t reflect the kind of consistency he showed as a rookie.
Sunday didn’t do much to change the narrative. Wolf stopped just 17 of the 21 shots he faced, and while he wasn’t solely to blame for the loss, he wasn’t the difference-maker the Flames needed either. His January record now sits at 1-6-1, with an .878 save percentage during that stretch.
It’s not uncommon for young goaltenders to hit a bump in Year 2, and that’s likely what we’re seeing here. Wolf still has the tools and the temperament to be the long-term answer in net for Calgary. But right now, he’s fighting it a bit, and the team in front of him isn’t doing much to ease the pressure.
What’s Next
The Flames now get a few days to regroup before heading to Minnesota for a Thursday night matchup with the Wild. After that, they’ll return home to face the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. It’s a relatively light week schedule-wise-perhaps exactly what this team needs to reset and refocus.
The pieces are there. The effort is there in stretches. But until the Flames can put it all together for three full periods, games like Sunday’s are going to keep slipping away.