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Beyond the Boxscore: The kids close things out in style, wrapping up their season with a home win.
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Flash Stevens
Apr 17, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 17, 2026, 09:30 EDT
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The Calgary Flames got plenty of highlight reel contributions from a trio of rookies to topple the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 in the regular season finale. 
CF% – 35.49%|| SCF% – 28.72%|| HDCF% – 23.48%|| xGF% – 19.89%
It’s a Team Game – The story of this game, start to finish, begins and ends with rookie netminder Arsenii Sergeev. Calgary spent a lot of time in their own zone, especially early in the game, but Sergeev pushed everything aside. Multiple times he made stellar acrobatic moves to keep the puck out, sometimes having to make multiple stops in a row to keep things at an even score. This allowed the Flames to score first, giving them a minor cushion that softened the blow of the Kings quick reply. The Kings were still pressing in the third, but Zayne Parekh was the one to make a move to ditch his trailer before potting what could be a contender for “Flames goal of the year”. Joel Farabee closed things out with an empty netter for his 20th, giving the netminder that played in all three professional leagues this season (ECHL, AHL, NHL) his first win in the show. 
Corsi King – Victor Olofsson (58.27 CF%) played the least amount of 5v5 in this game, with Aydar Suniev (51.94 per cent) just behind him. Calgary leaned fairly heavily on the Mikael Backlund (36.31 per cent) and the Morgan Frost (29.87 per cent) lines. The Kings were really pressing hard to start the game, likely due to the fact they still had a shot at moving out of a wild card and avoiding the Avalanche (cue the Darryl Sutter quote). By the third period the Ducks had won and the Oilers had a massive lead, locking them into that fight, and it was then that the Flames were finally able to get some decent counter opportunities. 
Under Pressure –
Taken By Chance – Hunter Brzustewicz (44.75 SCF% // 100 HDCF%, 2-0 advantage) rise from AHL starter to everyday Flames defenceman has been impressive. Still under 22 years old there’s lots of room for growth. He’s found offensive production in both junior and the AHL, next year with a full season in the NHL ahead of him we should start to see that production jump. Assuming the Flames are going to stick with their post-deadline attack strategy and not go back to the slow rolling 5-man unit approach. Matvei Gridin (23.55 per cent // 13.50 per cent) got shelled pretty hard in his 5v5 minutes, but the second he found space for a backdoor pass he pulled it off no problem. He’s a top-line player on this team already, with nobody on the wings really pressing him for his role. Plenty of growth lies ahead for this team, the fun really is just about to begin. 
xG Breakdown –
xGF% – We have got to mention Zayne Parekh’s (14.75 per cent) fantastic goal. It all starts at the blueline, where he not only makes the move to dodge his foe, but he maintains possession of the puck. Then he does the most important thing an offensive player can do, he starts moving his feet. He keeps on the move, protecting the puck from his opponent, until he finally stops on a dime, creates space for himself, and instantly goes the other way and drives the lane to the net. It also helps that this player has a tremendous shot and has the ability to let off the snipe that he did. That goal had me out of my seat, it was so sick. Take the reins off him next year, keep coaching the defence but stop getting in the way of his ability to create offence. Adapt your plans to fit his skill into your system, or adjust it to his strengths. Either way, this guy has the requisite skill to really start racking up the points once everything clicks. 
Game Flow –
Shot Heatmap –
In The Crease – Sergeev came from a Wranglers team, decimated by call-ups and lacking with high production veterans. As a result he did not accumulate great statistics this season in the minors, well box score statistics anyways. He showed everyone why that record doesn’t reflect who he is with a massive performance. The clear number one star, for either team, by a mile. He wasn’t as controlled as Cooley, and at times he was wilder than Wolf, but it was entertaining to see him make these athletic stops. What a confidence boost going into next season with your first NHL win under your belt and a starters workload coming in the AHL. The future of this crease looks the best it possibly ever has. Los Angeles brought the heat too, and really racked up the shot attempts and quality chances – Arsenii Sergeev just had the answer. 
The Goals –
Flash’s 3 Stars –
1) Arsenii Sergeev
2) Hunter Brzustewicz
3) Aydar Suniev
Thank You: Another season down, and no matter what happens each year it remains a pleasure to bring these reviews to you all. I enjoy the discussion in the comments, as well as the warm reception this fanbase continually gives BTB. I appreciate anyone who takes the time to log in and spend their free time reading, more than many of you could ever know. I’ll be around for some draft coverage (VIGGO), and maybe some passion pieces if I feel so inspired. I really do love covering this team. Until next season though, BTB is out. 
(Stats compiled from Naturalstattrick.com // Game Score from Hockeystatcards.com // xG and Under Pressure charts from HockeyViz.com // Game Flow and Shot Heatmap from NaturalStatTrick.com)

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