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<p>The Calgary Flames weren&#8217;t great on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Maybe it was three days between games. Maybe it was the late start. Maybe it was the extended ceremony retiring Miikka Kiprusoff&#8217;s number. But they were pretty flat early on and were largely held in by their goaltender.</p>
<p>But the Flames built their game and, primarily on the back of a very good final 12 minutes, they rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Penguins by a 4-3 score.</p>
<p></p>
<h2><strong>The rundown</strong></h2>
<p>The opening period was pretty flat for the home team. Case in point: the red team didn&#8217;t register a shot for the final 16:23 of the period. Jacob Markstrom was superb for much of the period.</p>
<p>However, a rare lapse by the Flames&#8217; star netminder led to the first goal for the Penguins. Rookie Jonathan Gruden intercepted a pass in the Flames&#8217; zone and threw the puck on net from a sharp angle. Markstrom didn&#8217;t quite seal off the post and Gruden&#8217;s shot squeaked through short-side to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jonathan Gruden scores his first NHL goal. </p>
<p>1-0 Penguins. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoPens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoPens</a><br />📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/xpQtFrXfQp">pic.twitter.com/xpQtFrXfQp</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764133783698370790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Late in the period, with Jakob Pelletier in the penalty box, the Penguins added to their lead. A puck was thrown into the net-front area and bounced around a bunch, and Lars Eller swatted it out of the air and past Markstrom to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lars Eller puts the Penguins up by two. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoPens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoPens</a><br />📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/FTA3nKXcoG">pic.twitter.com/FTA3nKXcoG</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764134851400352096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>First period shots were 14-3 Penguins (10-2 Penguins at five-on-five) and, via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 8-2 Penguins (high-dangers were 5-1 Penguins).</p>
<p>The second period was fairly sleepy for both sides, but the Flames managed to get on the board. Yegor Sharangovich chased down an errant pass, poked it past Kris Letang in the Penguins zone, then grabbed the puck behind Letang and beat Tristan Jarry five-hole to cut the Penguins&#8217; lead to 2-1.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Yegor Sharangovich gives the Flames some life as he scores his 22nd goal of the season! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoPens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoPens</a><br />📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/55kQvBxWZf">pic.twitter.com/55kQvBxWZf</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764141838615933158?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Second period shots were 10-7 Penguins (10-5 Penguins at five-on-five) and five-on-five scoring chances were 10-9 Penguins (high-dangers were 4-2 Flames).</p>
<p>The Penguins scored early to extend their lead. A puck went around the boards to Ryan Graves. He fired a shot on the Flames&#8217; net with a bunch of bodies in front. The puck went off <em>somebody</em> – the scorers gave the goal to Jeff Carter – and beat Markstrom to extend the visitors&#8217; lead to 3-1.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">3-1 Penguins <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoPens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoPens</a><br />📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/iR5tSofm2M">pic.twitter.com/iR5tSofm2M</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764154969408917612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Midway through the period, the Flames tied things up with a pair of quick goals.</p>
<p>First, on a power play, Nazem Kadri entered the zone and called his own number, cutting to the slot and beating Jarry to cut the Penguins&#8217; lead to 3-2.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nazem Kadri scores the nicest goal of the Flames season! Holy!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoPens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoPens</a><br />📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/lx2ABxCv3V">pic.twitter.com/lx2ABxCv3V</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764158627022270486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>32 seconds later, the Flames tied it up. Mikael Backlund&#8217;s line cycled and battled down low, ending when Andrew Mangiapane threw the puck into the slot for Blake Coleman, who fired it past Jarry to make it a 3-3 game.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Blake Coleman ties the game! That&#39;s two goals in 32 seconds for the Flames! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoPens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoPens</a><br />📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/KkCo0y1lvu">pic.twitter.com/KkCo0y1lvu</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764159409968799752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The Flames kept pressing. Backlund caused a turnover in the Penguins&#8217; zone and fed the puck to Sharangovich, who beat Jarry to give the Flames a 4-3 lead with 50 seconds left in regulation.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">YEGOR SHARANGOVICH GIVES THE FLAMES THE LEAD! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsGoPens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsGoPens</a><br />📽️: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/ucPAiHGB6Y">pic.twitter.com/ucPAiHGB6Y</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764163036187943098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>That was enough for the home side and they held on for the victory.</p>
<p>Third period shots were 10-6 Flames (9-4 Flames at five-on-five) and five-on-five scoring chances were 10-4 Flames (high-dangers were 1-0 Flames).</p>
<h2><strong>Why the Flames won</strong></h2>
<p>The Flames were pretty flat for the opening 20 minutes. They gradually figured their game out, showing signs of life in the second period and really kicking things into gear in the back half of the third period.</p>
<p>If you want to point to something the Flames did poorly, their defensive zone play was generally pretty shaky. If you want to point to something the Flames did well, their forecheck – especially in the offensive and neutral zones – became more and more noticeable as the game unfolded.</p>
<p><em><strong>Flames Game Day content is presented by Betway!</strong></em></p>
<h2><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-101226" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Betway_Rhomboid_doubleSided_EvenSpacing-svg.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="222" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Betway_Rhomboid_doubleSided_EvenSpacing-svg.jpg 740w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Betway_Rhomboid_doubleSided_EvenSpacing-svg-300x90.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /></h2>
<h2><strong>Red Warrior</strong></h2>
<p>Let&#8217;s give it to Markstrom. You can criticize him for not sealing the post on the Gruden goal, but he was easily the best player in red.</p>
<h2><strong>Turning point</strong></h2>
<p>This game seemed done and dusted in favour of the road team before the Flames scored those two quick goals in the third period.</p>
<h2><strong>This and that</strong></h2>
<p>Joining captain Mikael Backlund as alternates for this game were MacKenzie Weegar and Blake Coleman.</p>
<p>With Andrei Kuzmenko back in the lineup, he rejoined the top power play unit. He started on the fourth line with Kevin Rooney and Jakob Pelletier before ending up on the third line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Sharangovich.</p>
<h2><strong>Up next</strong></h2>
<p>The Flames (30-25-5) finish off their homestand on Monday night when they welcome the Seattle Kraken to town.</p>

<em><strong>Brought to you by odds site <a href="https://betway.com/en/sports" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://betway.com/en/sports/grp/ice-hockey/north-america/nhl&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1687012785221000&amp;usg=AOvVaw26eyjYvgk4l11WhrH94OW2">Betway</a>!</strong></em>

The Calgary Flames weren't great on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Maybe it was three days between games. Maybe it was the late start. Maybe it was the extended ceremony retiring Miikka Kiprusoff's number. But they were pretty flat early on and were largely held in by their goaltender.

But the Flames built their game and, primarily on the back of a very good final 12 minutes, they rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Penguins by a 4-3 score.


<h2><strong>The rundown</strong></h2>
The opening period was pretty flat for the home team. Case in point: the red team didn't register a shot for the final 16:23 of the period. Jacob Markstrom was superb for much of the period.

However, a rare lapse by the Flames' star netminder led to the first goal for the Penguins. Rookie Jonathan Gruden intercepted a pass in the Flames' zone and threw the puck on net from a sharp angle. Markstrom didn't quite seal off the post and Gruden's shot squeaked through short-side to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764133783698370790

Late in the period, with Jakob Pelletier in the penalty box, the Penguins added to their lead. A puck was thrown into the net-front area and bounced around a bunch, and Lars Eller swatted it out of the air and past Markstrom to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764134851400352096

First period shots were 14-3 Penguins (10-2 Penguins at five-on-five) and, via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 8-2 Penguins (high-dangers were 5-1 Penguins).

The second period was fairly sleepy for both sides, but the Flames managed to get on the board. Yegor Sharangovich chased down an errant pass, poked it past Kris Letang in the Penguins zone, then grabbed the puck behind Letang and beat Tristan Jarry five-hole to cut the Penguins' lead to 2-1.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764141838615933158

Second period shots were 10-7 Penguins (10-5 Penguins at five-on-five) and five-on-five scoring chances were 10-9 Penguins (high-dangers were 4-2 Flames).

The Penguins scored early to extend their lead. A puck went around the boards to Ryan Graves. He fired a shot on the Flames' net with a bunch of bodies in front. The puck went off <em>somebody</em> – the scorers gave the goal to Jeff Carter – and beat Markstrom to extend the visitors' lead to 3-1.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764154969408917612

Midway through the period, the Flames tied things up with a pair of quick goals.

First, on a power play, Nazem Kadri entered the zone and called his own number, cutting to the slot and beating Jarry to cut the Penguins' lead to 3-2.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764158627022270486

32 seconds later, the Flames tied it up. Mikael Backlund's line cycled and battled down low, ending when Andrew Mangiapane threw the puck into the slot for Blake Coleman, who fired it past Jarry to make it a 3-3 game.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764159409968799752

The Flames kept pressing. Backlund caused a turnover in the Penguins' zone and fed the puck to Sharangovich, who beat Jarry to give the Flames a 4-3 lead with 50 seconds left in regulation.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1764163036187943098

That was enough for the home side and they held on for the victory.

Third period shots were 10-6 Flames (9-4 Flames at five-on-five) and five-on-five scoring chances were 10-4 Flames (high-dangers were 1-0 Flames).
<h2><strong>Why the Flames won</strong></h2>
The Flames were pretty flat for the opening 20 minutes. They gradually figured their game out, showing signs of life in the second period and really kicking things into gear in the back half of the third period.

If you want to point to something the Flames did poorly, their defensive zone play was generally pretty shaky. If you want to point to something the Flames did well, their forecheck – especially in the offensive and neutral zones – became more and more noticeable as the game unfolded.

<em><strong>Flames Game Day content is presented by Betway!</strong></em>
<h2><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-101226" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/Betway_Rhomboid_doubleSided_EvenSpacing-svg.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="222" /></h2>
<h2><strong>Red Warrior</strong></h2>
Let's give it to Markstrom. You can criticize him for not sealing the post on the Gruden goal, but he was easily the best player in red.
<h2><strong>Turning point</strong></h2>
This game seemed done and dusted in favour of the road team before the Flames scored those two quick goals in the third period.
<h2><strong>This and that</strong></h2>
Joining captain Mikael Backlund as alternates for this game were MacKenzie Weegar and Blake Coleman.

With Andrei Kuzmenko back in the lineup, he rejoined the top power play unit. He started on the fourth line with Kevin Rooney and Jakob Pelletier before ending up on the third line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Sharangovich.
<h2><strong>Up next</strong></h2>
The Flames (30-25-5) finish off their homestand on Monday night when they welcome the Seattle Kraken to town.

Calgary Flames Post-Game: Flames extend streak to five games with comeback win over Penguins

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