Post-Game: Flames overcome flat start against Red Wings

The Calgary Flames weren’t great on Wednesday night in Detroit. They were a bit flat to start, but they surged in the second half. Powered by yet another strong game from their top line, the Flames beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-3 in the first game of a four game road trip.

The Flames were victims of some self-inflicted wounds in the opening period. Andreas Athanasiou sprung Darren Helm into the Flames zone with a chip around Travis Hamonic. He deked around a flat-footed Noah Hanifin and went five-hole on Mike Smith to make it 1-0 Red Wings.

Before the period ended, the hosts got another one. The Flames got running around in their own end and the Red Wings out-numbered them in front of the net. Jacob de la Rose took advantage of a goal-mouth scramble and put a loose puck past Smith to make it 2-0 Red Wings.

Shots were 13-12 and chances 12-8, both in favour of Detroit, in the opening period.

The Flames woke up in the second and managed to chip away at Detroit’s lead. Elias Lindholm caused a turnover with a smart back-check in the Red Wings zone. He flipped the puck towards the net and while Johnny Gaudreau was stopped by Jimmy Howard, Sean Monahan jammed in the rebound to trim the Detroit lead to 2-1.

A little while later the Flames drew even, as TJ Brodie’s point shot glanced off Gustav Nyquist and elevated past Howard to make it a 2-2 game.

But just 24 seconds after the Flames tied it up, Detroit re-established the lead after Athanasiou was hooked by Oliver Kylington on a breakaway. He beat Smith on the ensuing penalty shot to make it 3-2 for Detroit.

But that lead wouldn’t last, either. The Flames tied things up on the power play as Lindholm beat Howard with a heck of a shot off a face-off win to make it 3-3.

Shots were 11-9 and chances 8-5, both for the Flames, in the second period.

The Flames kept pressing and finally took the lead in the third period. On another power play, Matthew Tkachuk deked the puck past Howard and went below the goalie line, but he passed the puck behind Howard and through the crease right to Gaudreau for a tap-in and a 4-3 Flames lead.

Michael Frolik added an empty net goal to make it a 5-3 final.

Shots were 12-10 Flames and scoring chances 5-2 Red Wings in the third period.

The Flames weren’t overly sharp in the first period and they didn’t play a perfect game. But they’re a talented group with a dangerous top line. They weren’t great, but they stepped on the gas pedal in the second and third periods and played well enough to win.

They need to be better defensively, though.

Gaudreau was superb in the second and third periods. He had four points and easily could’ve had another three or four more.

Gaudreau’s game-winner. It was the natural end-point of how the game was going, as the Flames tilted the ice and Gaudreau was very dangerous as the game wore on.

Sam Bennett, Dillon Dube and Garnet Hathaway were victims of Bill Peters’ short bench in the third period.

The Flames (25-12-4) are off to New England. They face the Boston Bruins tomorrow night in Beantown.