Flames show up with complete effort to keep playoff hopes alive

Keeping playoff hopes alive

Photo: The Canadian Press

CALGARY — In their biggest game of the season, the Calgary Flames responded with one of their most complete efforts.

Led by Mikael Backlund's opening goal, Calgary built up a four-goal lead and cruised to a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild in a big game in the Western Conference playoff race.

“That was an awesome night,” said Backlund, whose 13th goal at 16:25 of the first period on a Blake Coleman rebound gave the Flames the lead for good. “Right from the first drop of the puck, I thought everyone was on their toes and were excited to play and we played a really good game, and the building was cooking tonight, it was great.”

The Flames climbed to within three points of both St. Louis and Minnesota — who occupy the two wild-card spots in the Western Conference — with three games remaining. Calgary has a game in hand on both teams.

Playing in tight games has been the norm all season for Calgary, which entered the game as the NHL's second-lowest scoring team. But as has often been the formula, rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf made some timely stops to keep the visitors off the scoreboard until Yegor Sharangovich and Nazem Kadri scored less than two minutes apart early in the second to make it 3-0.

“It's important for our group to be in these meaningful games this time of year, and to find a way to win them,” said Wolf, who improved to 27-16-8 in his sixth straight start. “I thought tonight was probably one of our best, most complete games.”

Kadri's team-leading 32nd goal came on the first man advantage of the night and two nights after Calgary went 0-for-6 on the power play in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss in Anaheim.

Soon after, it was time for the penalty kill to step up. The Wild got back-to-back power plays late in the second, including 18 seconds at 5-on-3. They were limited to just two shots in both opportunities.

“It was huge,” said Backlund. “They could have got some momentum there late in the second, and we found a way to kill it off and build off it and just didn't look back.”

The Scotiabank Saddledome crowd of 18,566 erupted in the third period when fourth liner Ryan Lomberg stole the puck at centre and scored a beautiful goal on a breakaway at 7:30 to make it 4-0.

“It was obviously a tough loss the other night there in Anaheim, tough to swallow,” said Lomberg, whose goal was just his third. “Boys were upset after the game, understandably, but what a response from our group.

"Super proud of the game we played tonight and looking forward to the next one. We got to turn the page and keep that coming."

Calgary, which has points in five straight (3-0-2), is back in action on Sunday when the San Jose Sharks come to town trying to play spoiler.

Meanwhile, all eyes on Saturday will be on the out of town scoreboard with the Wild right back in action in Vancouver and the Blues on the road in Seattle.

“The point we're at is we need some help. We need teams to do us some favours,” said coach Ryan Huska. “You talk a little bit about puck luck. Well, even in certain situations where we just need someone to win a game for us, it hasn't happened all that much.

"We're hoping that things are starting to flip in that area and we get a little bit of help on the out of town scoreboard, but really understanding that the next game again, becomes our biggest game.”

Next week, Calgary hosts Vegas on Tuesday before wrapping up the regular season in Los Angeles on Thursday.

“Since the beginning of the year, they're a resilient group, they really are,” said Huska. “I don't really believe they ever think they're out of a game. I feel like they feel like they can close every game out.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 12, 2025.