The Calgary Flames are heating up, as they were able to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks by a 5-2 final on Monday night for their third-straight win. After a bit of a questionable effort on Saturday versus the LA Kings, they were dominant in this one, and walked away with a very deserving two points.
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This game had a lot of highs for the Flames, and keeps them right in the mix for a playoff spot. They remain just a point behind the Vancouver Canucks for a wild card spot, and also hold a game in hand. Should they keep this recent stretch up, it won’t be long before they are back in a top-eight position. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from this one.
Kerins Makes Immediate Impact
After being called up from the Calgary Wranglers on Saturday morning, Rory Kerins sat as a healthy scratch versus the Kings. Last night, he was able to make his NHL debut, and it was one to remember. The 22-year-old finished the night with two assists in just under 15 minutes of ice time.
Kerins has proven to be an offensive catalyst, as his 21 goals in 34 games prior to his call-up led the American Hockey League (AHL). In order to remain in the Flames lineup, he’ll need to produce points, and last night was a great start for the young forward. Expect to see him back in the lineup tonight versus the St. Louis Blues.
Pelletier Has Career Night
A big reason for Kerins’ success last night was thanks to his linemate, Jakob Pelletier. The two showed plenty of chemistry together in the AHL early this season, making it a no-brainer for head coach Ryan Huska to put them on a line in this one. That worked out great, as it was the best game we have seen from Pelletier in the NHL.
“It’s kind of similar to the Wranglers, to be honest,” Pelletier told reporters afterward. “We played together with the Wranglers, and kind of showed [that] tonight. We played together for 19 or 20 games I think. I think we kind of know where the other is before we even go there, so it’s nice.”
Pelletier got things going early, beating Petr Mrazek on a great shot less than two minutes into the game. He was able to then get his second roughly 11 minutes later, marking the first two-goal game of his career. He then picked up a secondary assist in the second period on a Jake Bean goal, marking the first three-point game of his career. More offensive performances like this going forward would be huge for the Flames, who are without Connor Zary due to a lower-body injury.
Sharangovich Snaps Goal-Scoring Drought
Aside from Andrei Kuzmenko (who was a healthy scratch), nobody needed a goal more than Yegor Sharangovich. The 26-year-old entered this one without a goal in 15 straight games. That changed in the third period, when he was able to beat Mrazek on a shorthanded tally for his seventh of the season.
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Sharangovich is a player the Flames need to get going, as they’ve struggled to score goals all season long. While he has been a rather inconsistent player throughout his NHL career, he showed in 2023-24 how good he can be when at his best. In 82 games, he managed 31 goals. Let’s hope this is the start of a hot stretch from the talented forward.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
As mentioned, the Flames will be back in action tonight versus the Blues. They’ll then take on the Blues once again on Thursday night, before ending their road trip on Saturday night in a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Both are massive outings as they look to put themselves back in a playoff position.
