<p><em class="text-lg italic">This article is brought to you by bet365.</em></p>
<p>Throughout training camp, the Calgary Flames&#8217; veterans seemed a bit miffed by the notion that the team was going to be bad this season. They&#8217;re a proud group and seemed to have no intention of going away quietly this season.</p>
<p>Well, if the first game of the season is any indication, the Flames will not go away quietly this season. After losing a player to injury in the first period and trailing 4-1 after 20 minutes, the Flames stuck to their systems, played their game, and battled back to beat the Canucks in overtime by a 6-5 score.</p>
<h1>The rundown</h1>
<p>The first few minutes of this game were energetic and back and forth.</p>
<p>A crowd formed after <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2024/10/09/calgary-flames-canucks-first-period-chaos/">Kevin Rooney went into the boards awkwardly after a collision with J.T. Miller</a>, resulting in the Flames getting the extra minor and the Canucks getting a power play. Late on their man advantage, Rasmus Andersson and Nils Höglander jostled in front of Dan Vladar just as Daniel Sprong fired off a wrist shot. Whether because of the traffic or not, Sprong&#8217;s shot beat Vladar to give the Canucks a PP goal and a 1-0 lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">1-0 Canucks. Daniel Spring scores on the power play.  <a href="https://t.co/TdBZiAwoXL">pic.twitter.com/TdBZiAwoXL</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844205581072204262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>A little later, the Canucks scored again. With Mikael Backlund in the box for a high stick, Jake DeBrusk teed up Brock Boeser in the slot for a no-doubt one-timer that beat Vladar to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨Canucks Goal🚨</p>
<p>Jake DeBrusk finds Brock Boeser in slot and he buries it! </p>
<p>2-0 Vancouver </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/mg6IRIWr4B">pic.twitter.com/mg6IRIWr4B</a></p>
<p>&mdash; CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1844207289764389172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Right after that goal, the Canucks made it 3-0 with their first even strength goal of the game. This time, Vladar lost his mask off a scrambly play after he made the initial stop on a shot by Höglander. The Flames couldn&#8217;t corral the loose puck so play continued – that&#8217;s the rule when a goalie loses their mask – and Conor Garland fired the loose puck past Vladar to give the Canucks a three-goal lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">3-0 Canucks.  <a href="https://t.co/048iWk2gWu">pic.twitter.com/048iWk2gWu</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844208165484945683?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The Flames continued their march to the box of punishment. First, Anthony Mantha was penalized for trying to fight an uninterested J.T. Miller. Martin Pospisil was called for tripping, leading to a brief five-on-three. The Canucks missed a pass in the offensive zone, allowing a breakaway for Mantha as he left the penalty box. He deked and slid the puck past Arturs Silovs to cut the Canucks&#8217; lead to 3-1.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥Flames Goal🔥</p>
<p>Anthony Mantha comes out of the penalty box, breaks up a Canucks pass, and scores on a breakaway! </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/8aDKFdcnQQ">pic.twitter.com/8aDKFdcnQQ</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844209571952459924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>But a second after the expiry of Pospisil&#8217;s minor, Boeser, parked in front of the blue paint, redirected a Miller pass from the side boards past Vladar to give the Canucks a 4-1 lead. It wasn&#8217;t officially a power play goal, but it was essentially one.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">It’s 4-1 Canucks  <a href="https://t.co/o7pLFhd8ow">pic.twitter.com/o7pLFhd8ow</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844210391712399524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>First period shots were 15-5 Canucks. <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20242025&amp;game=20009&amp;view=limited">Via Natural Stat Trick</a>, scoring chances at five-on-five were 10-6 Canucks (high-dangers were 4-3 Canucks).</p>
<p>The Flames found their rhythm in the second period and did a great job staying out of the penalty box and building some momentum.</p>
<p>Late in the period, the Flames were finally rewarded. Rasmus Andersson snuck down to the high slot, made a subtle wrist adjustment to conceal his release, and fired the puck past Silovs to cut the Canucks&#8217; lead to 4-2.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥Flames Goal🔥</p>
<p>Rasmus Andersson with the snipe! He makes this a two goal game! </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/YcjRSXz9SR">pic.twitter.com/YcjRSXz9SR</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844225240609771938?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Second period shots were 10-3 Flames. Scoring chances at five-on-five were 7-7 (high-dangers were 3-2 Canucks).</p>
<p>The Flames kept chipping away at the Canucks&#8217; lead. Off a nice, lengthy cycle play, which including a couple pucks held in at the blueline, Martin Pospisil fired a shot from the slot past Silovs to make it a 4-3 Canucks lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥Flames Goal🔥</p>
<p>Martin Pospisil makes this a one goal game! What a shot! </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/CgBSYiYvqE">pic.twitter.com/CgBSYiYvqE</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844232050234229074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>After Jonathan Huberdeau drew a penalty, the Flames cashed in on the resulting power play to tie the game. After a face-off win, MacKenzie Weegar blasted a point shot off the post and into the Vancouver net to tie the game at 4-4.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥Flames Goal🔥</p>
<p>MacKenzie Weegar ties the game! The Flames come all the way back from being down 4-1!</p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/xCpUvdKAtB">pic.twitter.com/xCpUvdKAtB</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844235011467452764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Finally, the Flames took the lead off another nice bit of cycle work. Brayden Pachal pinched down from the point with the puck. He fired a pass across the net-front area to Huberdeau, parked at the edge of the crease. Huberdeau received the pass and then batted it into the net behind Silovs to give the Flames a 5-4 lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥Flames Goal🔥</p>
<p>The Flames score their fourth straight goal and they take their first lead of the night! </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/5cvsXLC82i">pic.twitter.com/5cvsXLC82i</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844236756373340429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>But with the goalie pulled the Canucks drew even. Mikael Backlund had a chance to get an empty-net goal from the offensive blueline but his shot was blocked by a Canucks defender. Play went the other way and Miller blasted a shot past Vladar&#8217;s glove and into the top corner of the Flames&#8217; net to tie the game at 5-5.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Canucks tie it late.  <a href="https://t.co/XTiZZNRfeU">pic.twitter.com/XTiZZNRfeU</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844240768309002340?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Third period shots were 9-7 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 8-4 Canucks (high-dangers were 5-1 Canucks).</p>
<p>This game went to overtime. After some chances in both directions, Connor Zary deked around Filip Hronek and deposited the puck past Silovs to give the Flames a 6-5 victory. (Bonus points to Pospisil, who drove the net and drew Boeser along with him, opening some space for Zary to dangle.)</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥Flames Goal🔥</p>
<p>CONNOR ZARY WINS IT IN OT WITH A BEAUTIFUL GOAL!!</p>
<p>WHAT AN INCREDIBLE WIN BY THE FLAMES!</p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/PUC7dFMnnS">pic.twitter.com/PUC7dFMnnS</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844242486253977910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h1>Why the Flames won</h1>
<p>Why were the Flames down three goals after the first period? They lacked composure in the first period, and taking too many penalties completely disrupted the flow of their game.</p>
<p>How did the Flames climb their way back to win this game? They found their composure in the second period, and managed to establish their fore-checking game, ran their lines and pairings, and built momentum. Once they got going, they didn&#8217;t do very much to slow themselves down.</p>
<h1>Red Warrior</h1>
<p>Let&#8217;s send some love in a few directions.</p>
<ul>
<li>In his Flames debut, Mantha had a Gordie Howe hat trick.</li>
<li>Vladar didn&#8217;t really have much of a chance on the goals he allowed, and he made some very nice saves otherwise.</li>
<li>Nazem Kadri was leaned on heavily for key face-offs in Rooney&#8217;s absence and delivered big-time, winning 63% of his draws.</li>
</ul>
<h1>Turning point</h1>
<p>The Flames ate Vancouver&#8217;s lunch from a possession and shot metrics standpoint in the second period. It could have been deflating to head to the locker room with nothing to show for it. Andersson&#8217;s goal, which cut the Canucks&#8217; lead down to two, was a reward for the team&#8217;s stellar work in that frame and seemed to give them hope and swagger heading into the third.</p>
<h1>This and that</h1>
<p>Rooney left the game after his collision with Miller and the Flames finished the game with 11 forwards.</p>
<p>This was Sam Honzek&#8217;s first NHL game and the 2,000th NHL game for Flames head equipment manager Mark DePasquale. In his first NHL appearance, Honzek was plus-1 with a shot on goal in 13:48 of ice time. (He played a few minutes less than his linemates, as the coaching staff tried not to throw him into the deep end in his first game.)</p>
<p>Mantha&#8217;s the 60th Flame to register a Gordie Howe hat trick, and the first player to ever do it in his Flames debut.</p>
<p>In addition to Mantha&#8217;s two points in his Flames debut, defenders Jake Bean and Kevin Bahl both had assists for their first points as Flames in their debuts.</p>
<h1>Up next</h1>
<p>The Flames (1-0-0) are headed home. They kick off the Saddledome portion of their 2024-25 schedule on Saturday night when they host the Philadelphia Flyers.</p>
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<em class="text-lg italic">This article is brought to you by bet365.</em>

Throughout training camp, the Calgary Flames' veterans seemed a bit miffed by the notion that the team was going to be bad this season. They're a proud group and seemed to have no intention of going away quietly this season.

Well, if the first game of the season is any indication, the Flames will not go away quietly this season. After losing a player to injury in the first period and trailing 4-1 after 20 minutes, the Flames stuck to their systems, played their game, and battled back to beat the Canucks in overtime by a 6-5 score.
<h1>The rundown</h1>
The first few minutes of this game were energetic and back and forth.

A crowd formed after <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2024/10/09/calgary-flames-canucks-first-period-chaos/">Kevin Rooney went into the boards awkwardly after a collision with J.T. Miller</a>, resulting in the Flames getting the extra minor and the Canucks getting a power play. Late on their man advantage, Rasmus Andersson and Nils Höglander jostled in front of Dan Vladar just as Daniel Sprong fired off a wrist shot. Whether because of the traffic or not, Sprong's shot beat Vladar to give the Canucks a PP goal and a 1-0 lead.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844205581072204262

A little later, the Canucks scored again. With Mikael Backlund in the box for a high stick, Jake DeBrusk teed up Brock Boeser in the slot for a no-doubt one-timer that beat Vladar to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead.

https://twitter.com/CanucksArmy/status/1844207289764389172

Right after that goal, the Canucks made it 3-0 with their first even strength goal of the game. This time, Vladar lost his mask off a scrambly play after he made the initial stop on a shot by Höglander. The Flames couldn't corral the loose puck so play continued – that's the rule when a goalie loses their mask – and Conor Garland fired the loose puck past Vladar to give the Canucks a three-goal lead.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844208165484945683

The Flames continued their march to the box of punishment. First, Anthony Mantha was penalized for trying to fight an uninterested J.T. Miller. Martin Pospisil was called for tripping, leading to a brief five-on-three. The Canucks missed a pass in the offensive zone, allowing a breakaway for Mantha as he left the penalty box. He deked and slid the puck past Arturs Silovs to cut the Canucks' lead to 3-1.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844209571952459924

But a second after the expiry of Pospisil's minor, Boeser, parked in front of the blue paint, redirected a Miller pass from the side boards past Vladar to give the Canucks a 4-1 lead. It wasn't officially a power play goal, but it was essentially one.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844210391712399524

First period shots were 15-5 Canucks. <a href="https://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20242025&amp;game=20009&amp;view=limited">Via Natural Stat Trick</a>, scoring chances at five-on-five were 10-6 Canucks (high-dangers were 4-3 Canucks).

The Flames found their rhythm in the second period and did a great job staying out of the penalty box and building some momentum.

Late in the period, the Flames were finally rewarded. Rasmus Andersson snuck down to the high slot, made a subtle wrist adjustment to conceal his release, and fired the puck past Silovs to cut the Canucks' lead to 4-2.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844225240609771938

Second period shots were 10-3 Flames. Scoring chances at five-on-five were 7-7 (high-dangers were 3-2 Canucks).

The Flames kept chipping away at the Canucks' lead. Off a nice, lengthy cycle play, which including a couple pucks held in at the blueline, Martin Pospisil fired a shot from the slot past Silovs to make it a 4-3 Canucks lead.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844232050234229074

After Jonathan Huberdeau drew a penalty, the Flames cashed in on the resulting power play to tie the game. After a face-off win, MacKenzie Weegar blasted a point shot off the post and into the Vancouver net to tie the game at 4-4.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844235011467452764

Finally, the Flames took the lead off another nice bit of cycle work. Brayden Pachal pinched down from the point with the puck. He fired a pass across the net-front area to Huberdeau, parked at the edge of the crease. Huberdeau received the pass and then batted it into the net behind Silovs to give the Flames a 5-4 lead.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844236756373340429

But with the goalie pulled the Canucks drew even. Mikael Backlund had a chance to get an empty-net goal from the offensive blueline but his shot was blocked by a Canucks defender. Play went the other way and Miller blasted a shot past Vladar's glove and into the top corner of the Flames' net to tie the game at 5-5.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844240768309002340

Third period shots were 9-7 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 8-4 Canucks (high-dangers were 5-1 Canucks).

This game went to overtime. After some chances in both directions, Connor Zary deked around Filip Hronek and deposited the puck past Silovs to give the Flames a 6-5 victory. (Bonus points to Pospisil, who drove the net and drew Boeser along with him, opening some space for Zary to dangle.)

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1844242486253977910
<h1>Why the Flames won</h1>
Why were the Flames down three goals after the first period? They lacked composure in the first period, and taking too many penalties completely disrupted the flow of their game.

How did the Flames climb their way back to win this game? They found their composure in the second period, and managed to establish their fore-checking game, ran their lines and pairings, and built momentum. Once they got going, they didn't do very much to slow themselves down.
<h1>Red Warrior</h1>
Let's send some love in a few directions.
<ul>
 	<li>In his Flames debut, Mantha had a Gordie Howe hat trick.</li>
 	<li>Vladar didn't really have much of a chance on the goals he allowed, and he made some very nice saves otherwise.</li>
 	<li>Nazem Kadri was leaned on heavily for key face-offs in Rooney's absence and delivered big-time, winning 63% of his draws.</li>
</ul>
<h1>Turning point</h1>
The Flames ate Vancouver's lunch from a possession and shot metrics standpoint in the second period. It could have been deflating to head to the locker room with nothing to show for it. Andersson's goal, which cut the Canucks' lead down to two, was a reward for the team's stellar work in that frame and seemed to give them hope and swagger heading into the third.
<h1>This and that</h1>
Rooney left the game after his collision with Miller and the Flames finished the game with 11 forwards.

This was Sam Honzek's first NHL game and the 2,000th NHL game for Flames head equipment manager Mark DePasquale. In his first NHL appearance, Honzek was plus-1 with a shot on goal in 13:48 of ice time. (He played a few minutes less than his linemates, as the coaching staff tried not to throw him into the deep end in his first game.)

Mantha's the 60th Flame to register a Gordie Howe hat trick, and the first player to ever do it in his Flames debut.

In addition to Mantha's two points in his Flames debut, defenders Jake Bean and Kevin Bahl both had assists for their first points as Flames in their debuts.
<h1>Up next</h1>
The Flames (1-0-0) are headed home. They kick off the Saddledome portion of their 2024-25 schedule on Saturday night when they host the Philadelphia Flyers.
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Flames Post-Game: Flames battle back to beat Canucks in overtime in opener

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