The Calgary Flames were able to pick up a 3-1 victory over the LA Kings last night. There was almost nothing you could look at in a negative light as a Flames fan in this one, as they were the better team from start to finish, and were rewarded with two big points for their effort.
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With the win, the Flames now improve to 8-5-3 on the season. There is still plenty of work to be done, but it’s been an impressive start for a group that had very low expectations just a month ago. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from last night’s outing.
Much-Needed Quicker Start
The Flames desperately needed to get off to a good start last night, as they have far too often been forced to come from behind this season. There was no slow start last night, as they came out flying right off the get-go. They went into the first intermission scoreless, but were rewarded with two goals 36 seconds apart from Mikael Backlund and Jonathan Huberdeau.
That lead was nearly blown late in the third, as the Kings had relentless pressure in the final few minutes after a late goal by Trevor Moore cut the lead in half. Things were getting tenser by the second, until an unexpected hero in Kevin Rooney was able to get free and put home an empty netter with just 20 seconds remaining.
Wolf Shines Once Again
One of the biggest positives early this season is how impressive Dustin Wolf has looked in what his is first real opportunity in the NHL. Last night was arguably his best game yet, as he wound up kicking aside 29 of the 30 shots he faced. He came oh-so-close to his first shutout of the season, but after a lengthy review, it turned out his glove was just behind the goal line in what appeared to be a save-of-the-year candidate.
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While Wolf made a number of big saves in this one, his best of the night came in the first period. The 23-year-old, who hadn’t faced much action to that point, looked calm and collected while stopping one of the Kings’ most dangerous players in Kevin Fiala on a breakaway. Had he failed to come up with that save, this game could have ended far differently for the Flames.
Zary Getting His Looks
After a hot start to the season, things have cooled off for Connor Zary as of late. The 23-year-old had recorded just one point in his last seven games entering last night, and though the slump will continue, there were plenty of positives to build off of it going forward.
Though Zary was held without a point, he was noticeably the Flames’ best forward from start to finish. He had several grade A opportunities that he nearly cashed in on, and nearly took the roof off the Saddledome after undressing Kings defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov in the second period. If he keeps this effort up going forward, the points will start coming in waves.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
As big of a win as this was for the Flames, they won’t have much time to sit around and enjoy it, as they’re right back in action tonight versus the Vancouver Canucks. They’ll then have two nights off before returning home to take on the Nashville Predators, who have gotten off to a shockingly bad start this season.
With last night’s win, the Flames have jumped ahead of the Canucks and now sit third in the Pacific Division standings. They do have three more games played than one of their biggest rivals, but can increase the gap if they are able to pick up a win in regulation this evening.
