The Calgary Flames are beginning to prove their many detractors wrong.
Thanks to tonight’s 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, the Flames record is now a perfect 4-0-0. That marks their best start since 2009-10, and is just the third time in franchise history they have come out of the gates this hot.
It’s been quite the start for a team most predicted would finish the season near the bottom of the standings.
“We work hard for each other,” Rasmus Andersson said afterward. “We’ve got each others backs, we block shots. Look at [Justin Kirkland] last shift. That’s the character we have in this group.”
Andersson, of course, is referring to Kirkland’s effort in the dying seconds of tonight’s outing, where he blocked two shots despite his team holding a two goal lead. The Swedish blue liner wasn’t the only one impressed with the effort from the man they call Costco.
“A three to one game, that game was over,” head coach Ryan Huska said. “That was one of the big things in the room the guys were excited about too. You see that, you saw Blake Coleman early on. We had defencemen trying to block shots late. That’s important because those are the things that win you hockey games.”
Husk and the boys LOVED Costco’s late-game shot-blocking 😤 pic.twitter.com/55ApYg69F0
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 16, 2024
Kirkland spent tonight on the fourth line with Matt Coronato (who scored two goals) and Ryan Lomberg. The three were a force all evening long, and in Huska’s eyes put forth some of the best individual efforts.
“I thought they were excellent,” Huska said. “They brought energy, they played the game the right way, they ended up on the scoresheet twice in a close game.”
First of the season for Matt Coronato! #Flames @wincolumnCGY
🎥: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/3GVoWZxhMC— Mackenzie Grafton (@mgrafton37) October 16, 2024
🔥Flames Goal🔥
Matt Coronato beats Connor Bedard to the puck and puts it into the empty net for his second goal of the game! #Flames #Blackhawks
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/KtodYn1OiC— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 16, 2024
Huska also raved about Dustin Wolf, who kicked aside 31 of the 32 shots he faced. Seven of those shots came off the stick of Connor Bedard, and the Flames young goaltender was up to the task on all of them.
“The pre scout on [Bedard] is that his sh0t is elite, right?” Wolf remarked with a grin. “He’s very good at pulling it in and changing the angle. That’s exactly what he did, and I was just fortunate enough to be in the right spot.”
Despite the humble answer, Wolf has been fantastic early on this season, posting a 2.02 goals against average (GAA) along with a .944 save percentage (SV%) through two starts.
He and the Flames will look to keep the good times rolling on Saturday in a road tilt versus the Seattle Kraken.
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