This article is brought to you by bet365.
There’s no quit in the 2024-25 Calgary Flames!
On Saturday afternoon, they played their third and final game on the Eastern Conference road trip, falling 3-2 in a shootout to the Buffalo Sabres.

The rundown

As has been the case far too often lately, the Flames allowed the first goal of the game, as the Sabres’ Zach Benson scored his second of the season after a juicy rebound in the slot.
On a power play with just under six and a half minutes left in the case, the 6’6″ Tage Thompson let a massive one-timer go, beating Daniel Vladař to make it 2-0 for the Sabres. Thankfully, this was all the scoring they’d get in regulation.
The 2024-25 Flames have done one thing really well this season: fighting back when down in games. Saturday’s game was no different, as Matt Coronato scored his fifth of the season as he was all alone on the side of the net late in the second period.
After the sustained pressure late in the third period, Mikael Backlund took a shot from an odd angle with just over four minutes left in the game, beating the Sabres netminder over the left shoulder to tie the game.
Unfortunately, the Flames lost in the skills competition after spending the final minute and 20 seconds of overtime on the power play. JJ Peterka was the goal scorer for the Sabres.

Why the Flames lost

Sometimes, the team that loses does everything right. Aside from giving up the early goal in the first period, the Flames played well and fought back as they’ve done so many times this season.
When a game goes to a shootout, it’s hard to blame anyone. The Sabres’ Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made three stops, while the Flames’ Daniel Vladař made two. It is what it is.

Red Warrior

Matt Coronato has been excellent all season, and Saturday was no different, scoring his goal of the season, sharing for the team lead. He also had three shots with just 16:08 minutes on the ice. Since his recall on Nov. 1, he has three goals and four points, with all those points coming on the three-game road trip.

Turning point

The turning point of this game was the sustained pressure late in the third period. If there’s one adjective to describe the Flames, it would be “urgent”, as they also find a way to get the late goal. Mikael Backlund’s goal led to overtime for the third consecutive game and while the Flames were unable to win in the shootout, they pick up four of six points on the road trip.

This and that

Statistically, it didn’t look like a great game for Daniel Vladař, as he only saved 17 shots on 19 attempts for an .895 save percentage. However, he made quite a few big stops to keep the Flames in the game.

Up next

The Flames (7-5-3) are headed home. They’ll host the Los Angeles Kings on Monday on Amazon Prime.
Thanks for reading! You can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.