Flames Close January with Grit, Goals, and a Glimpse of the Future in 3-2 Win Over Sharks
The Calgary Flames wrapped up January with a performance that checked a lot of boxes: special teams execution, a breakout showing from a young centerman, and a highlight-reel game-winner when it mattered most. In front of a packed Scotiabank Saddledome crowd celebrating Women in Sport Day, Calgary edged San Jose 3-2 in a game that offered more than just two points-it offered a glimpse at what this team could become.
Let’s start with Morgan Frost. The 24-year-old pivot has been heating up lately, and Saturday afternoon, he was everywhere.
He scored on the powerplay, set up a crucial goal to tie things up, and was dominant in the faceoff circle, winning 15 of 18 draws. That kind of performance isn’t just a nice stat line-it’s a statement.
“Today, that’s the best I’ve seen him play since he’s been with us,” head coach Ryan Huska said postgame. And he wasn’t wrong.
Frost played with pace, poise, and purpose. He was creating chances, finishing plays, and making life tough on San Jose’s defense all afternoon.
When he’s playing with that kind of confidence, Frost looks like a difference-maker.
The Flames needed that kind of spark after falling behind early. San Jose struck first on the powerplay, with Will Smith burying his 16th of the season just over three minutes in. It was a textbook backdoor finish off a slick feed from Alexander Wennberg, and Calgary found itself chasing the game early.
But the Flames didn’t flinch. They responded with pressure, and eventually, they cashed in.
Frost got his revenge on a 5-on-3 advantage, capitalizing on a rebound after Matt Coronato’s one-timer handcuffed Sharks goalie Alex Nedeljkovic. Frost roofed it from in tight, tying the game and bringing the Saddledome to life.
Dustin Wolf, making his latest start in net for Calgary, was sharp when he needed to be. He stopped 23 shots, including a couple of key saves late that preserved the win.
His best might’ve come with 20 seconds left, when he sprawled across the crease to deny Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini on a one-timer from the right circle. That’s a save that wins games-and this one did.
San Jose did manage to retake the lead early in the second. Adam Gaudette finished a nice play at the right post, tucking it past Wolf before the Calgary netminder could slide over. But again, the Flames responded with urgency.
The second period was all Calgary. They outshot the Sharks 16-6 and tilted the ice in their favor. Frost kept buzzing, nearly scoring twice more-once on a redirect in the slot and again after dancing around Mario Ferraro and drawing a penalty.
Eventually, the pressure paid off. Rookie Matvei Gridin scored his first NHL goal at home, hammering a one-timer from the right circle off a cross-ice feed from-you guessed it-Frost. That tied the game at 2-2 heading into the third and set the stage for a dramatic finish.
Enter Joel Farabee.
With Calgary killing a penalty midway through the third, Farabee jumped on a fortuitous bounce off the end boards after a Mikael Backlund slapshot. He got to the puck first, chipped it over Nedeljkovic, and gave the Flames their first lead of the game.
It was Farabee’s fourth short-handed goal of the season, tying him for the league lead in that category. That’s the kind of opportunistic play that can swing momentum-and seasons.
From there, it was all about closing the door. Wolf made a few more key stops, including one on William Eklund from in tight and another on Smith from the left circle. But the biggest save came in the dying seconds, when he robbed Celebrini to seal the win.
A few numbers jump out from this one. Calgary outshot San Jose 42-25, won 56.7% of faceoffs, and generated 12 high-danger chances at 5-on-5. The powerplay went 1-for-6-not perfect, but timely-and the penalty kill came up big when it mattered most.
Yegor Sharangovich led all skaters with six shots on goal, continuing to be a consistent offensive presence.
In the end, this was the kind of game that shows what the Flames are capable of when their young players step up and their veterans deliver in key moments. It wasn’t perfect, but it was gritty, timely, and-most importantly-effective.
And if this version of Morgan Frost sticks around, Calgary might have found a key piece for the stretch run.