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Flames Post-Game: Flames fade in loss to Hockey Club
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryan Pike
Jan 2, 2025, 23:38 ESTUpdated: Jan 3, 2025, 00:09 EST
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The Calgary Flames hosted the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday evening for the very first time. What unfolded was three pretty even periods of hockey, but the Flames’ attention to detail with the puck waned as the game wore on and their mistakes caught up with them.
After leading 3-2 after two periods, the Flames lost to Utah by a 5-3 score.

The rundown

The first 20 minutes of this hockey game were a bit low on emotion and high-octane chances, as both teams tried to figure each other out.
Midway through the period, Ian Cole found a passing lane in the Flames zone and threw the puck across to Lawson Crouse. Crouse beat Dan Vladar high to give Utah a 1-0 lead.
The Flames earned themselves a late power play, though, off a Utah too-many-men minor. On the resulting power play, Blake Coleman parked himself around the blue paint and scored off a rebound on a Nazem Kadri shot to tie the game at 1-1.
First period shots were 10-6 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 7-3 Utah (high-danger chances were 0-0).
The second period was more emotional and dare we say chippy, overall.
Nazem Kadri lost his stick and then threw a hit on Logan Cooley that saw him called for interference – Kadri was fired up after being fouled (in his mind, and in the crowd’s) off the face-off.. On the ensuing Utah power play, Mikael Backlund lost his stick off some contact with a Utah player in the neutral zone, leaving the Flames to functionally defend a five-on-three. It didn’t go well, and Cooley scored on a back-door tap-in off a quick Utah passing sequence to take the 2-1 lead.
But the Flames answered back quickly. As they were announcing that previous Utah goal in-arena, Connor Zary fired the puck on the Utah net and chipped in his own rebound while falling and sliding on the ice. That tied the game up at 2-2.
Awhile later, the Flames took the lead off a nice bit of forechecking. Some puck pursuit by Coleman and Matt Coronato created a turnover in the Utah end. Coronato found Brayden Pachal sneaking in from the point and Pachal beat Karel Vejmelka with a wrister to give the Flames a 3-2 lead.
Second period shots were 10-9 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 7-3 Utah (high-danger chances were 3-2 Utah).
37 seconds into the third period, Clayton Keller deflected an Olli Maatta shot past Vladar to make it a 3-3 game. (Keller was in the slot and got a blade on the puck, which was basically roofed past Vladar.)
Less than two minutes later, MacKenzie Weegar attempted to block a rush shot by Crouse. But the shot changed direction off Weegar’s stick and eluded Vladar to give Utah a 4-3 lead.
Alex Kerfoot was awarded a penalty shot midway through the third period, but he was stopped by a poke-check from Vladar.
The Flames pulled Vladar for the extra attacker with a couple minutes left. But they couldn’t muster any additional offence, and Kevin Stenlund added an empty-netter to make it a 5-3 final.
Third period shots were 11-6 Utah. Five-on-five scoring chances were 5-4 Utah (high-danger chances were 2-0 Utah).

Why the Flames lost

The Flames weren’t all that good in their own end throughout this game and didn’t do their goaltender any favours. Their puck management decisions were also pretty spotty throughout this game, especially in the first 10 minutes of the third period. And once Utah got a lead, they did a good job clogging things up, killing the clock, and keeping the Flames at bay.

Red Warrior

Man, Connor Zary was really good in this game. He was consistently noticeable in all three zones.
Honourable mention to Matt Coronato, who had six shots.

Turning point

Utah scored two goals in the first 2:38 of the third period to grab the lead.

This and that

This was Brayden Pachal’s 100th NHL game.

Up next

The Flames (18-13-7) host the Nashville Predators at the Saddledome on Saturday night.

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