Calgary Flames Post-Game: Coronato shines as Flames overcome Jets

The Calgary Flames played their final home pre-season game on Monday evening when they hosted the Winnipeg Jets. The Flames were a bit flat to begin the game, but they found their execution as the game went on. They came from behind to beat the Jets by a 5-4 score.

The Flames were a bit leaky defensively in the opening period, and a few key lapses led to a couple Winnipeg goals.

Early on, the Jets got some zone time and Cole Perfetti found a pinching Ville Heinola with a nice backhanded pass. Because of some defensive zone confusion, Heinola had oodles of time and a clear shooting lane and beat Jacob Markstrom stick-side (inside the far post) to make it 1-0 Jets.

Later on, a Logan Stanley point shot went wide and ricocheted off the end boards into the home plate area. Amidst some confused players in red sweaters, Dominic Toninato jumped on the loose puck and chipped it past Markstrom to make it 2-0 Jets.

The Flames broke the goose-egg late in the first period, as some nice offensive zone puck movement ended with a one-timer from Elias Lindholm past Connor Hellebuyck to cut the Winnipeg lead to 2-1.

Five minutes in the second period, the Jets padded their lead a bit. The Flames had a bunch of pressure but couldn’t turn it into strong chances. The puck went the other way, Noah Hanifin lost his stick, and the Jets took advantage of the broken defensive formation as Hanifin went to retrieve his lumber with Parker Ford finding David Gustafsson with a great pass in front from below the goal line. His shot beat Markstrom to make it 3-1 Jets.

But the Flames went to work in the back half of the second period and got back into the thick of things. After a successful penalty kill, the Flames threw together a line of Matt Coronato, Yegor Sharangovich and Adam Ruzicka. They had a great shift of puck cycling en retrieval in the Jets zone, ending with Coronato putting Ruzicka all alone in front with the puck. Ruzicka beat Hellebuyck to cut the lead to 3-2 Jets.

A little later, the Flames scored again. This time, Nazem Kadri found a pinching Jordan Oesterle entering the zone off the rush as the trailer. Oesterle’s shot was stopped by Hellebuyck, but Dillon Dube buried the rebound to tie the game at 3-3.

Slightly after that, the Flames took the lead. They won a face-off in the offensive zone and Coronato did a great job protecting the puck and throwing it on net. Mikael Backlund jammed in the loose rebound to make it a 4-3 Flames lead.

But right after that, the Jets tied things back up off a rare whoopsie from winger Dryden Hunt. Hunt was trying to exit the Flames zone, but had his pocket picked by Ford. A quick pass later and Gustafsson’s shot found a way past Markstrom to make it a 4-4 game.

But early in the third period, the Flames retook the lead on the power play. After a nice bit of puck movement from the second unit, Coronato received a pass from Backlund and fired a wrister past Hellebuyck to give the Flames a 5-4 edge.

The Flames held on for the victory.

The Flames were fairly disorganized in the defensive and neutral zone to begin this contest, but they gradually put their game together and began to generate chances and pounce on Winnipeg’s mistakes.

It wasn’t a perfect game for the Flames and they were a bit porous throughout this one, but they just got a bit better offensively as the game went on.

Coronato was superb in this hockey contest, posting a goal and two helpers.

The back half of the second period was excellent for the home side.

Here’s how the Flames lined up:

Jonathan Huberdeau – Elias Lindholm – Andrew Mangiapane
Adam Ruzicka – Nazemi Kadri – Dillon Dube
Yegor Sharangovich – Mikael Backlund –  Matt Coronato
Blake Coleman – Cole Schwindt – Dryden Hunt

MacKenzie Weegar – Rasmus Andersson
Noah Hanifin – Chris Tanev
Jordan Oesterle – Nikita Zadorov

Jacob Markstrom started for the Flames and went the distance, backed up by Dustin Wolf.

Mikael Backlund wore the captain’s C. His alternates were Chris Tanev and Elias Lindholm.

The Flames are back in action on Wednesday when they visit the Edmonton Oilers.