The 2024-25 Calgary Flames are proving that hard work can trump skill.
They may not be the most talented of groups, but this Flames team isn’t the bottom feeder many expected it to be this season. Through 14 games, they own a 7-5-2 record, which is good enough for the top wild-card position in the Western Conference.
What’s made this team so fun to watch early in the season is their evident belief that they can win each and every game they play. The Flames have already had three come-from-behind wins this season, including their opener versus the Vancouver Canucks, a game which they trailed by three on two separate occasions, but wound up winning 6-5 in overtime.
The Flames nearly pulled out another come-from-behind win last night, as they entered the third period trailing the Boston Bruins 3-1, only to tie things up at the midway point of the frame on a goal off the stick of Nazem Kadri.
4 of #Flames Nazem Kadri’s 5 goals this season have come in the 3rd period pic.twitter.com/2NBhqpr4mx
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 8, 2024
The Flames wound up falling in this one with Brad Marchand scoring the overtime winner, but were still able to show their resiliency once again and grind out a point.
“It’s frustrating not to close that out, but we’ll take that point. It was a great fight by us in a tough building,” Kadri said postgame. “Coming back from a two-goal deficit, I’m going to give us a lot of credit there.”
It seemed like that sentiment was felt throughout the Flames dressing room, as head coach Ryan Huska had similar comments.
“I thought it was a good game. It was a hard game,” Huska said. “I liked how we stuck with it again. That’s kind of been a trademark for our team, is that we always still feel like we’re in games. I’m pleased with how they were a resilient bunch tonight. That’s a big point for us.”
While seeing Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich (who scored the second goal) find the back of the net came as no surprise, the Flames were able to get a marker from a less expected candidate in Tyson Barrie. After a slow start to the season in which he was healthy scratched on numerous occasions, he seems to be getting his game on track.
Tyson Barrie nets his first goal as a Flame! 🔥
Watch Flames vs. Bruins on Sportsnet. 📺 pic.twitter.com/GKqUNmVjQ1
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 8, 2024
“I’ve been on teams where you’re just kind of down, but in here you’re just [thinking], ‘We’re going for another period. We’re going to go and try to get one in the first 10l’” Barrie said.
“There’s no quit in between periods. It’s just focus, we’re going to go out and play the same way.”
The Flames have one game remaining on their three-game road trip, which will come against the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday. That outing presents a great opportunity to get back into the win column, as the Sabres have struggled to a 6-7-1 record through their first 14.
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