During the course of the season, there are games that teams should win and games that teams need to win. On Tuesday night, the Calgary Flames hosted the Seattle Kraken. As the Flames are a team that’s battling for a playoff spot and the Kraken are now in spoiler mode, it was a game that the Flames should be expected to win given each team’s relative spots in the standings.

Through two periods, the Flames looked like they were not having their best night. For the 30th time this season, they entered the third period behind on the scoreboard – trailing 2-1. For the fourth time this season, they managed to find a way to win the hockey game, rallying back to win 4-3 in overtime. (They’re 4-22-4 when trailing after 40 minutes.)

Nazem Kadri scored twice, including the overtime winner – his second in as many games. Adam Klapka and Rasmus Andersson also scored. Dustin Wolf made 26 saves – including three in overtime – for his 24th win of the season.

“Great win,” summarized Kadri. “Resilient. Third period comeback. Down but not out. That’s been the Flames way this year.”

Flames forward Blake Coleman used similar verbiage to describe the Flames’ tenacity against the Kraken.

“Just resilient,” said Coleman. “You know, I think we just always have that belief and guys are stepping up at big times. And, you know, I think even down one in the third, we felt like we were going to find our way back into the game. And just opportunistic goals, saves when we need them. And honestly, it just boils down to the will to win.”

Kadri’s two-goal outing extends his goal-scoring streak to four games, during which he has scored five goals. At the most important time of year, Kadri has been able to execute at key moments with the puck on his stick.

“These games are do or die,” said Wolf. “So you need guys to step up and he’s been a very integral part of exactly that. He’s scoring goals exactly when we need him and that’s exactly what we need down the stretch here.”

The Flames were okay through two periods. They probably spent too much time in the penalty box, and head coach Ryan Huska shared that he felt the team lost pace after a too-many-men bench minor midway through the second period. Shots on goal were pretty close to even through 40 minutes, but the Kraken had taken advantage of the Flames’ penalties and turnovers to grab the lead.

But the home side came out for the third period with a bit more urgency, and managed to get some traction in the game.

“Just that urgency,” said Coleman, asked about what was different in the third period. “We talk about urgent, not desperate. And I thought guys were simple. We got to our game in the third. Got away from it the last five, six minutes of the second. And our team’s got a pretty good finger on the pulse. We knew. We knew that’s not the way we need to play if we’re going to find ways to win. And to everyone’s credit, they flipped the switch and I thought we took control for the third period.”

Huska was asked about the difference in the team’s play and execution in the third period.

“Well, the word you used, execution,” said Huska. “Like the second half of the second period, we missed clean passes. I think because you’re lacking a little bit of execution, you lose the pace in your team game. In the third period, passes were on the tape. There was a lot more speed and we spent more time in the offensive zone. So I think it directly correlates to execution.”

The St. Louis Blues currently hold the final wild card in the Western Conference, and they’ve been on an absolute heater – winning seven in a row and going 8-1-1 over their past 10 games. With the Blues finding ways to maintain their momentum, the Flames are focusing on trying to capture standings points and worrying less about style points.

“This time of year, it doesn’t really matter what happens,” said Wolf. “You just got to find a way to win hockey games. Some are going to be pretty, some aren’t. If we are able to get two points at the end of the night, that’s all we care about.”

The Flames are back in action on Thursday night when they welcome the Dallas Stars to the Saddledome.