The Calgary Flames kept their run rolling Monday night, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome for their fourth straight win.
Matvei Gridin led the way with two goals and an assist, while Mikael Backlund marked his return to the lineup with a goal of his own. Devin Cooley made his fourth consecutive start and walked away with his fourth straight victory as Calgary kept stacking results after a rough opening stretch to the season.
The game started to tilt in Calgary’s favor early, and the Flames never really let go. Cooley briefly invited pressure when he played the puck outside the trapezoid, giving Toronto a power play, but Calgary erased the threat and Cooley followed with a highlight-reel pad save to protect the lead.
The opening period also brought some heat physically. Late in the frame, Jake Middleton and Zach MacEwen dropped the gloves, and the scrap gave Calgary a power play that carried into the second period.
The Flames wasted little time taking advantage. Just 25 seconds into the middle frame, Zayne Parekh delivered a stretch pass to Gridin, who crossed the blue line and ripped a hard shot over Bobrovsky to make it 3-0. It was Gridin’s second goal of the night and another sign of how dangerous he has looked lately.
Toronto pushed back at 12:54 when Troy Stecher sent a slap pass toward the net and Easton Cowan chipped it past Cooley to trim the margin to 3-1.
The Maple Leafs made it tense again in the third. At 6:06, William Nylander found a loose puck in front and put it home, and Auston Matthews picked up the assist for his 800th career NHL point.
Calgary answered with two empty-net goals late, as Joel Farabee and Pospisil closed it out and sealed the 5-2 final.
Backlund’s goal carried some extra weight. It gave him 609 career points with Calgary, pulling him even with Johnny Gaudreau on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.
Gridin kept building on a strong stretch of his own. He posted his first multi-goal game of the season, finished twice over Bobrovsky, and celebrated his second goal with the gritty dance. He now has five points - two goals and three assists - over his last four games.
And for Calgary, the win carried a little more than just another point in the standings. It snapped an eight-game losing streak against Toronto and gave the Flames their first victory over the Maple Leafs since Feb. 10, 2022.
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For Calgary, the moment became one of those bencheside reminders of how quickly a game can change. Marchenko had been on the ice for 7:05 before leaving, and the lower-body injury left the Leafs to adjust on the fly while the Flames continued trying to keep their composure around a play that suddenly carried more weight than the score. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Rivalry Loss Came With A Bigger Concern Calgary Will Notice
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Flames May Be Finding A New Role That Fits Martin Pospisil
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The offensive contribution has been part of the appeal, too, with Pospisil showing he can still help drive play while handling more responsibility down the middle. There was also a brief altercation in the Toronto game, a reminder that his edge remains part of the package, but the bigger takeaway for the Flames is how smoothly he has taken to the new assignment. If this continues, Calgary may be finding a fit that gives Pospisil a clearer path to regular minutes and a more defined place in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]