Rasmus Andersson scored a huge insurance goal to put the Calgary Flames up 3–1 over the Colorado Avalanche late in the second period of Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

With the Flames seeking to win their first season-opening game since 2009, their penalty-killers successfully overcame an Andersson roughing minor and quickly looked to advance the puck up the ice.

Fortunately, the player in control of the puck when the penalty expired was MacKenzie Weegar, one of the Flames’ best puck-movers. Also fortunately, Andersson just so happened to exit the penalty box right as Weegar took possession.

The Avalanche power-play unit didn’t see it coming. Weegar immediately fired a bullet of a pass to a wide-open Andersson, who skated into the offensive zone all alone and deftly slid the puck right between Pavel Francouz’s wickets to give the Flames a two-goal cushion.

Weegar picked up the lone helper on Andersson’s first goal of the season, which came at the 14:52 mark of the middle period. The Flames still lead 3–1 over Colorado in the second intermission.

Brett Ritchie and Dillon Dube have also scored for the Flames in Thursday’s game against the Avalanche. Bowen Byram opened the scoring for the visitors just 1:39 into the first period.

The Flames last won a season opener way back in 2009, when they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5–3 at home on Oct. 1. Mark Giordano, Rene Bourque, Adam Pardy, Brandon Prust, and Dion Phaneuf scored for Calgary in that victory.

Through 40 minutes at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday, the Flames currently lead the Avalanche 22–13 in the shots column. They’ll begin the third period on the power play for 1:21.