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Notes from last game: Aydar Suniev scores first NHL goal, Zayne Parekh struggles

Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

By Cynthia Ryley Delaney

Oct 13, 2026, 15:30 EDTUpdated: Oct 13, 2026, 13:16 EDT

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Saturday’s game was the Calgary Flames’ best game of the season.

While they may have lost 4-2 to move their season record to 0-5-0, it was the first time all season that the Flames looked like a National Hockey League calibre team. A loss is a loss, but there were some positive takeaways from this game, which is hard to say about their first four games.

Let’s take a look at some notes from the Flames’ game this past Saturday.

The positives

This was by far the Flames’ best game of the season. Through two, the Flames and Anaheim Ducks were deadlocked at two. It wasn’t until the third where the Flames lost the game, but the Flames have had three good periods this season, and two of them came in this one.

One area that has been a bright spot for the Flames this season has been their penalty kill. Entering Saturday’s game, the Flames had killed off 12 of 13 penalties, but the Ducks opened the scoring on the power play. That isn’t quite a knock on the Flames, as the Ducks are currently running a power play conversion rate of 37.5%, third-best in the NHL. In a season like this, you look for positives, and a strong penalty kill is a good start.

Now in terms of individual performances, Aydar Suniev scored his first of the season late in the second period, beating the Ducks’ netminder from a tough angle. He was all over the place in this game, generating a handful of chances like he did in the pre-season. Suniev is a good piece for the rebuilding team moving forward.

Morgan Frost was also all over the place. He scored the Flames’ other goal with a nice move on a breakaway, one of three chances like that I counted. I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that he was their best player on Saturday.

Matt Coronato also deserves a shout out, picking up the primary assist on both goals. The first one was a thing of beauty, gathering a bouncing puck and hitting Frost on the fly. He’s tied for the team lead with three points, but he’s my pick to finish with the most points on the team this season.

I really liked Šimon Nemec’s game. He picked up an assist in the first period, making a terrific outlet pass to Coronato. He finished the game as a plus-2, as did his partner Kevin Bahl, who set the tone early with a big hit.

Late in the first in a 1-1 game, the Flames had some sustained zone pressure, but they ended up down 2-1 after the first period. Let’s take a look at the negatives.

The negatives

The third period is where the Flames lost the game, but heading to the first intermission down 2-1 shouldn’t have happened. After all that sustained zone time, the Flames couldn’t get the puck out, Martin Pospíšil failed to clear, and the puck ended up behind Wolf. Even in a rebuilding year, it’s not great.

That was a tough game for Zayne Parekh. He and his partner, Jacob Middleton, were hemmed in on that goal, one of three goals Parekh was on the ice for. The right-shot defenceman played the two-on-one well on the game-winning goal, but he had made a couple mistakes earlier on the power play. Parekh also just needs to bulk up, something that’ll hopefully come with time.

After two periods, it was tracking to be Dustin Wolf’s best game of the season, then the third period happened. He allowed two weak goals which ultimately cost the Flames, erasing the big saves he made in the first two periods. He hasn’t been stealing games like you’d hope.

The Flames’ top six had a solid game, but their third line had a tough one. Both Pospíšil and Gridin finished as a minus-2. Their fourth line, centred by Jonathan Castagna, was rather unnoticeable as well.

As good as their penalty kill has been this season, it was their power play that let the Flames down in this one. They had three third period power plays, failing to capitalize on any of them. The first saw them gain some momentum, but the short-handed goal allowed killed that momentum.

Other notes

My only real note is Devin Cooley rocks. Unlike other sports, hockey players don’t often have big personalities, at least publicly. Cooley is a big exception to the rule, his interviews always rule, and he always takes accountability. Bonus points for his bunny Tito, which was featured post-commercial in the first period.

You never want to see players injured. Unfortunately, Ducks’ forwards Cutter Gauthier and Ryan Poehling departed this game with injuries and likely won’t be available when the teams rematch on Tuesday. Roger McQueen, the Ducks’ first-rounder in 2025, may be making his debut.

Tuesday’s game has a 7:45 p.m. MT start time, as the Flames hunt for their first win of the season in Anaheim.

Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFO Calgary, DFO Edmonton, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.

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