The Calgary Flames extended their season-best run to four straight wins on Tuesday night, edging the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in a shootout at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Dustin Wolf turned aside 23 shots and came up with the key stops late, while Zayne Parekh and Olli Maatta each scored their first goals of the season to help Calgary claw back twice in the game.
© Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Los Angeles struck early, opening the scoring just 2:35 into the first period. Joel Armia found Quinton Byfield at the blue line with a slick feed, and the Kings forward broke in alone before finishing on the backhand through the wickets of Wolf. Drew Doughty picked up the secondary assist as the Kings carried a 1-0 lead through the opening frame.
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The second period didn’t offer much in terms of chances, but Calgary found a goal late. At 14:50, Olli Maatta got just enough of a one-timer, off a pass from Victor Olofsson, and beat Darcy Kuemper to even the score. It marked Maatta’s first goal as a Flame. Ryan Strome also drew an assist on the play.
Wolf made sure the game stayed tied heading into the third, turning aside a pair of quality chances with two big pad saves in the final minutes of the period.
© Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The Kings wasted no time restoring their lead in the third period. Just 17 seconds in, a puck chipped out of the zone landed on Byfield’s stick, sending him in alone again. This time, he beat Wolf clean with a blocker-side shot to make it 2-1, with Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere adding assists.
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Calgary responded on a two-man advantage (13:02). Zayne Parekh found space in the high slot and snapped a wrist shot past Kuemper to tie the game, 2-2. Matt Coronato and Matvei Gridin picked up assists on the power-play marker.
Overtime settled nothing despite a wide-open extra frame. Olofsson generated a pair of strong looks, and Morgan Frost rang a shot off the post on a 2-on-0, but the game remained deadlocked. In the shootout, Yegor Sharangovich scored the winner, despite losing the puck as he deked to the backhand, it slowly slid forward and slipped through Kuemper’s legs to seal the win.
© Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
1. Coleman driving the pace
Blake Coleman was noticeable from the opening shift. He pressured pucks, set the tone on the forecheck, and logged strong minutes on the penalty kill. His effort level hasn’t dipped, even this late in the season.
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2. Flames finding momentum
Calgary is in the middle of its longest winning streak of the year, now four straight victories during this six-game homestand. It’s a stretch that’s brought some life back into the group.
3. Parekh rewarded
Zayne Parekh continues to trend upward. Both of his NHL goals have come against the Kings, and this one, scored on the power play, felt like a long time coming given how he’s been playing.
