The Calgary Flames erased two separate deficits last night, but it wasn’t enough, as they fell to the St. Louis Blues by a 4-3 final in overtime. This game started slow, but wound up being a rather exciting final 40 minutes, which often hasn’t been the case with this Flames team this season.
Despite the loss, this also marked the second-straight game in which the Flames managed three goals, which is a good sign for a team that has really struggled to put the puck in the net this season. This could perhaps be the start of some better offence going forward. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from last night’s game.
Controversial Ending
In the eyes of many Flames fans, their team was robbed last night by a questionable call in overtime. Colton Parayko was able to put home the game-winner, though the Flames challenged it, believing he had interfered with goalie Dan Vladar. They appeared to have a legitimate gripe, though it wound up standing after a lengthy review.
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These goalie interference calls are extremely tough to judge, often feeling more like a flip of the coin than actual logic being used. To his credit, Vladar said afterward that he respected the call, indicating it may not have been quite as controversial as some are making it out to be.
Pelletier Finds Back of the Net
The 2024-25 season didn’t get off to the start Jakob Pelletier had hoped for, as he failed to make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers as a result. Despite possessing some high-end skill, all 31 teams chose to pass on claiming the 23-year-old, which allowed for him to remain in the Flames system.
He was able to earn a recall late last week following a season-ending injury to Justin Kirkland, and made an impact last night, scoring his first shortly after the St. Louis Blues had jumped out to a 2-1 lead. This could prove to be a big goal for the 2019 first-round pick, as he himself admitted his confidence had been lacking dating back to the 2023-24 campaign.
Vladar Gets Second-Straight Start
The Flames have had an even goaltending tandem this season, but have given multiple starts to both Dustin Wolf and Vladar following outstanding performances. Last night, it was the latter’s turn to make his second-consecutive appearance following a shutout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
He didn’t fare as well last night, allowing four goals on 20 shots. That said, he made a number of great saves, including cross-crease stops on one-timer opportunities in the second frame. Despite those big saves, it was clear he wasn’t happy with himself after this one had wrapped up.
“I just felt that I had to make one extra save than [Jordan] Binnington and I didn’t,” Vladar said. “They got the win, but I think we deserved to win today, for sure. The guys played a really good game in front of me. We were playing good hockey, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”
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Following last night’s outing, Vladar now sits at 5-5-3 on the season. His numbers dropped, but are still respectable with a 2.74 goals-against average (GAA) along with a .900 save percentage (SV%). Given the final result, Wolf is likely to be between the pipes in the Flames’ next game.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
The Flames were able to pick up a single point, and with it, their record improved to 13-9-5. They seem to have rediscovered their game after a rough four-game losing skid last week, though they’ll have to find a way to be better on the road, where each of their next two games will come. The first will be on Sunday versus one of the powerhouses of the Western Conference in the Dallas Stars, and the second will be on Tuesday in a difficult Bridgestone Arena against the Nashville Predators.
