The Calgary Flames delivered a timely performance on Hockey Day in Canada, earning a 4–2 win over the New York Islanders Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Calgary entered the game with a few storylines swirling. Forward Matvei Gridin was recalled from the AHL earlier in the day and slotted into the lineup alongside Connor Zary and Nazem Kadri, while Dustin Wolf got the start between the pipes. Despite ongoing trade speculation, defenceman Rasmus Andersson was also in the lineup—and made his presence felt.
The Flames opened the scoring midway through the first period as Yegor Sharangovich continued his hot stretch. Andersson found him in the high slot, and Sharangovich snapped a glove-side shot past David Rittich for his fifth point in three games, giving Calgary a 1–0 lead.
The game tilted decisively in Calgary’s favour early in the second period with a flurry of goals. After weathering a couple of Islanders chances, the Flames doubled their lead when Adam Klapka redirected a Kevin Bahl point shot past Rittich. Bahl picked up his second assist of the night on the play.
Just over a minute later, Ryan Lomberg set up Justin Kirkland on a 2-on-1, and Kirkland roofed the puck to make it 3–0—his first goal since last November. Klapka added the secondary assist.
The Flames weren’t done. Yan Kuznetsov jumped into the rush moments later, walked in off the blue line, and wired a shot off the crossbar and in to cap a four-goal burst on just 10 shots.
New York responded quickly, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau scoring his eighth of the season less than a minute later to cut the deficit to 4–1.
In the third period, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy pulled his goalie with more than eight minutes remaining, sparking an unusual sequence that nearly saw Wolf score a goalie goal as his long attempt slid just wide of the empty net.
The Islanders finally capitalized late when Anders Lee scored his 300th NHL goal on a sharp-angle shot that squeaked through Wolf, but Calgary held on the rest of the way to secure the 4–2 victory.
Three Takeaways:
1. Making the Most of Their Looks
Calgary was opportunistic all night. The Flames had just eight shots halfway through the game but scored three times on those chances, turning efficiency into a decisive advantage.
2. Fourth Line Delivers
The Flames’ depth made a difference. Adam Klapka finished with a goal and an assist, Ryan Lomberg added a helper, and Justin Kirkland chipped in with a much-needed goal, providing strong energy and timely scoring.
3. Zary Keeps Rolling
Connor Zary’s strong stretch continued, extending his point streak to five games. He now has two goals and four assists for six points over that span, providing consistent offensive momentum for Calgary.
