3 Takeaways From Flames’ 4-3 Win Over the Predators

The Calgary Flames were able to pick up a rare but massive road victory last night, defeating the Nashville Predators by a 4-3 final. It was a win they very much needed after five straight losses on the road entering the contest. With the win, they have improved their season record to 14-10-5.

Related: Flames Should Do Everything Possible to Move Kadri to Maple Leafs

This game once again saw the Flames battle back, as they trailed three separate times. Somehow, they keep finding ways to draw back into games, which is a true testament to how resilient of a group they are. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from what was a very exciting game.

Offence Comes to Life

There were many concerns regarding this Flames team heading into the 2024-25 season, one of them being who they could rely on for offence. They are a team that lacks elite-level skill up front, and that’s been quite evident through their first 29 games of the season.

Related: Flames News & Rumors: Gaudreau, Kadri, Andersson & More

Last night marked the first time that the Flames have scored four goals in a game since defeating the Edmonton Oilers by a 4-1 final back on Oct. 13. Some of that came down to bad luck, and thankfully, luck was on their side last night. While no one should expect them to suddenly become a great offensive team, this game should help instill some confidence for them going forward.

Huberdeau Scores Yet Again

One Flames forward who has had a relatively solid start offensively is Jonathan Huberdeau. He isn’t producing to the level his $10.5 million cap hit suggests he should be, but few expected him to do that this season. The lowered expectations seem to have taken the weight off his shoulders, as he’s playing the best hockey we have seen from him in a Flames uniform.

Huberdeau wound up scoring the game-winning goal and is now riding a five-game point streak. His 10 goals on the season lead the Flames, and puts him on pace to score roughly 28 goals. That is quite a total, given that even when he was producing elite-level numbers with the Florida Panthers, he only managed to hit the 30-goal mark on two occasions.

Kevin Rooney an Unlikely Hero

Considering how hard it’s been for the Flames to come by goals this season, they need depth players to step up and provide some secondary scoring in order to rack up wins. They got just that last night from one of the most unlikely players on their roster in Kevin Rooney.

“When you get your fourth line contributing like that, you take it always, but when you get a night when there’s two [goals] coming our way, we’ll take it all the time,” head coach Ryan Huska said. “As a coach, I’m always more pleased with the [block] Kevin had late in the game for us. They all did a good job tonight, it helped us win.”

Rooney has been a dependable fourth-line centreman for the Flames who provides valuable minutes on the penalty kill. That said, his offence is almost nonexistent, as he entered last night’s game with only two points through 20 games. He was able to double that total, as he scored the Flames’ second goal of the evening, while also adding a secondary assist on a Brayden Pachal goal just over 11 minutes later.

Looking Ahead for the Flames

Part of what made this win so big for the Flames is the fact that they have a difficult schedule to close out their week. They’re set to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, before welcoming the Florida Panthers on Saturday. The good news is that both games will come at home, where they have a 10-3-1 record this season.