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Instant Reaction: Flames overcome slow start to beat the Sabres
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryan Pike
Jan 23, 2025, 23:50 ESTUpdated: Jan 24, 2025, 02:11 EST
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Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!
The Calgary Flames returned home for their first game in the Scotiabank Saddledome in nearly two weeks on Thursday night when they hosted the Buffalo Sabres.
The Flames got out to a slow start, getting out-shot by a hefty margin in the first half of the game. But their goaltender was good and gave them a chance to settle in, and they ended up battling back for a 5-2 victory over the Sabres.

The rundown

The Flames were on their heels for much of the first period, but they managed to open the scoring shorthanded.
With Matt Coronato serving an interference minor, the Sabres missed a pass on their power play and the puck blooped out into the neutral zone. An alert Jonathan Huberdeau chased down the puck, skated into the offensive zone and fired the puck between Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s legs to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.
First period shots were 14-7 Sabres. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 8-3 Flames (high-danger chances were 5-1 Flames).
The Sabres scored a couple goals in the first half of the second period off very similar plays.
A couple minutes in, the Sabres had possession in the Calgary zone and cycled the puck effectively. Mattias Samuelsson fired a shot from the point. Rasmus Andersson was engaged in a battle for position in front of Dustin Wolf and, in the midst of that battle, the puck deflected off his stick and past Wolf to tie the game at 1-1.
About five minutes later, the Sabres scored again. This time, Samuelsson’s point shot was deflected off the stick of a Sabres player, Tage Thompson, and eluded Wolf to give the road team a 2-1 advantage on the scoreboard.
The Flames answered back a couple minutes later to tie things up. Jakob Pelletier started a nice rush sequence, passing to Huberdeau and sending him into the Buffalo zone with speed. Huberdeau held up and passed to Nazem Kadri entering the zone, and Kadri cut towards the net and chipped the puck at the netminder. It trickled through Luukkonen and into the net to tie the game at 2-2.
Second period shots were 11-8 Sabres. Five-on-five scoring chances were 14-6 Sabres (high-danger chances were 7-2 Sabres).
A few minutes into the third period, a nice offensive zone sequence gave the Flames a lead. This time, the Kadri line kept battling and moving the puck, resulting in a Brayden Pachal point shot that was deflected by Pelletier in front of the Buffalo net and beat Luukkonen to give the Flames a 3-2 edge.
The Sabres pressed for much of the third period. They pulled Luukkonen for the extra attacker… and Yegor Sharangovich hit the post on the empty net. Huberdeau ended up setting up Sharangovich for an empty-netter shortly after, though, to give the Flames a 4-2 lead.
Mikael Backlund scored another empty-netter to make it 5-2.
Third period shots were 11-9 Flames.

Why the Flames won

The Flames weren’t all that bad in the first half of this game, but they weren’t all that good either. But they really settled in and started playing their game once they allowed the second Buffalo goal. In particular, the Flames’ penalty kill was really sharp – especially when the game was close.
When the game was in the balance, they got goaltending. And when you have goaltending, you have a lot.

Red Warrior

We’ve gotta go with Pelletier, who was noticeable in all three zones and absolutely full of energy throughout this hockey game.
(Honourable mention to goaltending machine Dustin Wolf, who was superb as usual.)

Turning point

We’ll go with Pelletier’s game-winner, a very nice little deflection battling in front of the Sabres net.

This and that

This game was Canadian Armed Forces Appreciation Night at the Saddledome, which included members of the armed forces rappelling down from the roof to deliver the puck for the ceremonial opening face-off.
The Flames shuffled up their forward lines after the first Buffalo goal:
  • Rory Kerins moved to the fourth line with Clark Bishop and Ryan Lomberg
  • Jakob Pelletier moved to the first line with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri
  • Martin Pospisil moved to the third line with Yegor Sharangovich and Andrei Kuzmenko
In the third period, Lomberg and Kuzmenko switched spots.
Andrei Kuzmenko, Rory Kerins and Clark Bishop (who was playing his first NHL game in three season) didn’t hit the ice in the third period.
MacKenzie Weegar fought Peyton Krebs in the third period.

Up next

The Flames (23-16-7) are headed back on the road! They’re headed to the Twin Cities, where they’ll face the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night in the first half of a back-to-back set. (They close it out on Sunday in Winnipeg!)

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

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