The Flames finally have their first win of the season, and they earned it the hard way.
Calgary outlasted the Ducks 4-2 on Tuesday night at Honda Center, snapping into the win column while splitting the home-and-home with Anaheim. Martin Pospisil delivered the decisive goal at 15:38 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie, and the Flames closed it out behind 22 saves from Dustin Wolf.
It was the kind of game Calgary had to grind for. Anaheim kept pushing, but the Flames kept finding answers. Adam Klapka got them started in the first period, Aydar Suniev pulled them even in the second, and Yegor Sharangovich added insurance late after Pospisil’s go-ahead strike.
Klapka set the tone early. He opened the scoring 8:32 into the first period with a long-range wrister after Calgary forced a turnover in the Ducks’ zone. The play started with a strong pinch down the left wall from Jake Middleton, and Maxim Tsyplakov picked up his first point as a Flame with the assist.
Klapka did more than score, too. He dropped the gloves in the second period against Ducks heavyweight Jeff Malott, then later put his body on the line by stepping in front of a slapshot from the point with just under 10 minutes remaining. He finished one assist short of a Gordie Howe hat-trick.
Suniev kept his strong start rolling in the second. After Calgary’s 5-on-3 expired, he drifted into the slot and finished a hard pass from Ryan Strome with a one-timer over Lukas Dostal’s shoulder to make it 2-2. It was Suniev’s second goal in as many games and his first career NHL multi-point effort.
The game turned for good in the third during a wild sequence with the score still tied. Yan Kuznetsov found Matt Coronato at the back post, but Coronato’s close-range try hit the right post and slid through the crease without crossing the line.
On the next rush, Beckett Sennecke broke in alone for Anaheim, only for Zach Whitecloud to erase the chance with a huge check. Calgary then raced the other way, and Pospisil cut inside after crossing the blue line before ripping the puck past Dostal to make it 3-2.
Sharangovich added the fourth goal later to help seal it.
Wolf was steady throughout, and Calgary’s overall shot total told the story of a team that was pressing. The Flames finished with a season-high 36 shots, while Anaheim managed 24.
The numbers backed up Calgary’s edge. The Flames won the faceoff battle 57.4% to 42.6%, held the advantage in 5-on-5 scoring chances 30-21, and led 9-6 in high-danger chances at even strength. Calgary also blocked 15 shots and outshot the Ducks on the night.
Pospisil finished with eight wins in 12 draws, while Ryan Strome led Calgary with seven shots on target.
After the game, Beezer had some wise words for the group: "Winning is fun, and that’s what we all want"
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Flames Finally Got The Response Fans Needed After That Start
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Aydar Suniev helped turn the night around with the tying goal and a key setup on the go-ahead score, while Martin Pospisil added the late game-winner after beating the Ducks off the rush. Dustin Wolf also had to be sharp when the game was still hanging in the balance, and the Flames eventually closed it out with Yegor Sharangovich sealing it into an empty net. The penalty issues still stood out, but for one night Calgary looked more like a team willing to push through the mistakes instead of being buried by them. [Read more 🡒]
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Flames Face A Tough Blue Line Call As Trade Buzz Builds
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Zach Whitecloud has also been part of the chatter, with Toronto taking a look at the veteran defender as it gauges its options. For Calgary, he arrived in the Rasmus Andersson trade and has brought the profile of a Stanley Cup winner, but the early returns have been quiet so far, and that only adds another layer to a blue line picture that already feels unsettled as the deadline buzz starts to build. [Read more 🡒]