The Calgary Flames got their first home win of the season on Sunday, beating the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Morgan Frost fed Yegor Sharangovich to score the winner on a one-timer into the top corner with less than five minutes left in the third period, after Carolina had tied the game.
Trying to catch fire
If you’re feeling a little disillusioned with the Flames right now, you’re not alone. It’s been a rougher-than-expected start to the season as they continue their rebuild, and a lot of people may have gotten carried away dreaming of a miracle run in the Saddledome’s final season. Through Sunday’s games around the league, they’ve allowed more goals per game than any team in the NHL (4.63) and rank 30th out of 32 in goals scored per game (2.13). However, their power play and penalty kill both rank in the top half of the league, at 12th and 14th.
There have been glimmers of hope and excitement for the future. Three days after the Anaheim Ducks, a playoff team last season, beat them 4-2 at the Saddledome on Oct. 10, the Flames got their retribution with a 4-2 win in the water bird’s barn on Oct. 13 — their first win of the season.
Is it an ideal start to the season? Not really. But I’d borrow goaltender Devin Cooley’s approach to his own game: don’t let your conscious mind think too much about it, and enjoy the ride in the dome’s last year.
Next up
The Flames host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m., the second game of a four-game homestand.
