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Instant Reaction: Flames can’t catch up to Leafs in home loss
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryan Pike
Feb 3, 2026, 00:34 ESTUpdated: Feb 3, 2026, 01:35 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 hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday evening in what felt like a home game for the team in blue sweaters. The Flames allowed an early goal against and were chasing for the majority of the game.
The Flames tried to claw their way back and nearly did, but they ended up falling just short, losing 4-2 to the Maple Leafs.

The rundown

35 seconds into the first period, Toronto scored. The Flames were pressuring in the offensive zone, but all of their players got clumped up on one side of the offensive zone, so Jonathan Huberdeau opted to throw the puck to the point. But his pass, intended for Yan Kuznetsov, was intercepted by John Tavares. Tavares sent William Nylander in alone against Dustin Wolf and he went top corner glove on Wolf to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
First period shots were 7-3 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 9-8 Maple Leafs and high-danger scoring chances were 2-0 Flames.
Midway through the second period, the Leafs added to their lead. With the puck up for grabs below Calgary’s goal line, Nylander beat Morgan Frost in a 50/50 battle and nudged the puck into the net-front area, where Matias Macelli collected it and roofed it past Wolf to give the Leafs a 2-0 lead.
Later on, there was a stretch of four-on-four play and the Leafs took advantage of the extra space to make some nice passes and add to their lead. An Auston Matthews shot was stopped by Wolf, but the Flames couldn’t collect the loose rebound and Nylander found Troy Stecher in front, and he tucked the puck past Wolf to give Toronto a 3-0 edge.
But a few minutes later, the Flames responded. Off a zone entry, Joel Farabee skated with the puck towards the slot area and took a couple defenders with him. He dished the puck back to Nazem Kadri, who fired the puck over top of Joseph Woll to cut Toronto’s lead to 3-1.
A little later, the Flames inched even closer. MacKenzie Weegar made a nice play at the point to throw the puck to Kadri, at the side of the zone. Kadri chucked the puck to the far post of the Leafs’ net, where Farabee chipped the puck over top of Woll to cut Toronto’s lead down to 3-2.
Second period shots were 11-10 Maple Leafs. 5v5 scoring chances were 8-7 Maple Leafs and high-danger scoring chances were 5-2 Flames.
The Flames pressed for much of the third period. They had their looks.
Arguably their best look was a near-miss for Adam Klapka after a dump-in hit a seam in the boards and blooped out towards the net-front, where Brandon Carlo and Woll scrambled to keep the puck out.
Coronato had a great chance but Woll made a big stop on him, too. Heck, the Flames had probably two or three pucks trickle tantalizingly close to the goal line but stay out of the Leafs’ net.
The Flames pulled Wolf for the extra attacker late in regulation and they had some good looks, but they couldn’t capitalize. Bobby McMann scored on an empty net to give the Leafs a 4-2 victory.
Third period shots were 13-8 Flames.

Why the Flames lost

The Flames weren’t great with the puck in the first half of this game. You could see what they were trying to do, but they just couldn’t connect on passes and they fed into Toronto’s attack as a result. In the second half, though, they started to find their rhythm, started making direct plays, and made a game of it.
Unfortunately, they just could not get the elusive tying goal, and they ended up losing by that much. Give ’em some credit, too: once they got down 3-0, they easily could’ve folded up shop. At least they went down swinging.

Red Warrior

We’ll give this jointly to Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee. Man, they connected on the Flames’ two goals and they really could’ve gotten a few more.

Turning point

The Leafs’ third goal, off a nice passing sequence that had the Flames looking completely flummoxed, was a bridge too far for the home side.

This and that

The Flames observed a moment of silent in-arena prior to the anthems in memory of the three members of the Southern Alberta Mustangs who passed away in a motor vehicle accident on their way to practice on Monday.
Zayne Parekh played his first NHL game since Nov. 7.

After Burner

Join Cami Kepke and Mike Gould right after the game for After Burner!

Up next

The Flames (22-27-6) close out their pre-Olympics schedule on Wednesday evening when they host the Edmonton Oilers.

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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