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Browsing: Flames
CALGARY — Staring up at the Jumbotron like everyone else in attendance, Dustin Wolf was curious as to how he did it.
How he managed to make the best of his 26 saves while lying on his stomach, kicking up his leg in desperation as Marcus Johansson redirected a Mats Zuccarello pass at Wolfâ€s doorstep.
“Well, I thought I was s— out of luck when he made the first pass,†admitted the Calgary Flames netminder with a grin.
“Just got some bounces tonight. It hit me, and Naz(em Kadri) made a nice play with his stick to (bat) it out of there. That’s hockey. Sometimes bounces go your way. Sometimes they don’t. And thankfully, we got a couple to go our way tonight.â€
A 4-1 Flames win over the sizzling Minnesota Wild Thursday night came eight days after Wolf last saw action, when he was pulled less than six minutes into a forgettable start in Tampa, where he allowed three of the first four shots.
Giving way to Devin Cooley for three straight starts, in a stretch that saw the backup play six of seven, the hockey world wondered how the Flames†franchise netminder felt about sitting that long.
“It is what it is — Cools has been playing outstanding, and I’m going to support him in any way possible I can,†said Wolf, who suddenly might not have to play upwards of 64 games this year.
“When I get the tap on the shoulder to play, I’m going to do everything I can to be ready.
“No, you never want to be pulled. But you kind of use it as an eye opener and find things to work on, and just get back to playing hockey, the game you love.â€
Better question: how tough was it having to stew over what was the worst outing of his career?
“S— happens,†he shrugged.
“That’s the game of hockey. I mean, you can’t let anything bother you about that.
“You can’t change what’s happened now, you can only look forward to the next opportunity, and being prepared for that. And now this one’s behind us, we got two points, and now we get ready for Saturday.â€
No more guessing whoâ€s getting the start that night against Utah.
Bouncing back the way he has throughout his young career, Wolf was particularly sharp early on Thursday, backstopping the Flames to a scoreless tie after a first period that saw him and his Flames kill off four high-sticking penalties.
The only shot to beat him came late in the second period when a Zach Bogosian point shot bounced off the stick of Adam Klapka, then Yakov Trenin, before tying the game 1-1.
Third-period goals by Connor Zary, Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson (into an empty net) broke open a tight, entertaining game, ending the Wildâ€s 12-game point streak.
Following up a long road trip with their most complete effort of the year, the Flames kicked off their first of nine home games this month with a real confidence builder.
On a night that featured plenty of talk about the leagueâ€s hottest goaltending duo of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt, Wolf changed the narrative with the type of bounce-back effort most could have predicted.
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“I think it just maybe shows the competitive side of the player again,†said Flames coach Ryan Huska, whose decision to start Cooley for three straight sparked mild debate in town.
“I think the time on the road gave (Wolf) an opportunity to dial some parts of his game in a little bit with (goalie coach) Jason (LaBarbera.) And I think he did a very good job of that. The last day or two of it, you could tell he was a little fiery, and he wanted to get back in the net again, which is a great sign.
“As I said this morning, I think when you have two goaltenders that are playing well, they feed off of each other. That’s what Minnesota has had with their guys, and our belief is that we’re going to get that way with ours.â€
The Wildâ€s tandem is so dominant, theyâ€ve now started to simply rotate the two.
Donâ€t expect a similar approach from Huska, who decided to ride the surprisingly hot hand of his backup in a fashion he likely never thought possible, given Cooleyâ€s shaky pre-season and limited NHL experience.
“(Cooley) served notice that he’s more than capable of stepping in and playing games, and I think that always makes the partner better,†said Huska, who was asked earlier in the day if, in hindsight, he maybe rode Wolf a little too hard to start the season.
“I don’t think so. The only game maybe that I would second-guess myself, was the game in Vancouver (the second game) of the year. That would probably be about it.â€
Otherwise, no regrets, which is almost as comforting as having two viable options every night you face off.
NASHVILLE — Ozzy Wiesblatt wasnâ€t thinking about the Gordie Howe hat trick.
He was only thinking of his brother.
The stirring point skyward after scoring his very first NHL goal Tuesday made that patently clear.
This one was for Orca.
“I’ve thought about pointing to the sky for my brother for a while now, and it was just a cool feeling,†said the Nashville Predators rookie, dedicating his second-period goal against his hometown Flames to his older brother, Orca, who died in a September car crash at age 25.
“Obviously that was for him. It was just a huge relief for me.â€
Growing up in Calgary in a house with five kids and a deaf mother, it was the type of moment the brothers had dreamed of sharing.
Blowing out the candles on every birthday cake included a wish for NHL glory — a goal they discussed throughout their childhood in a single-parent home where momâ€s sacrifices kept dreams like these alive.
So when asked post-game by Sportsnetâ€s Brendan Parker if he had anything he wanted to say to his family, the 23-year-old winger looked at the camera and delivered a powerful message to his mother, Kim.
He did it first in sign language, and followed it by saying, “Love you Mom.â€
“My mom’s always watching, so that’s all I care about,†beamed the gameâ€s first star, surrounded by reporters afterwards.
“I know they’re proud of me, and they don’t have to tell me that. Hopefully Iâ€ll keep making my family proud every day, and I do the best I can.
“Iâ€ve said it a million times, but so many people, so many families, have helped me get here. I know they’re back home watching all the time, and it means the world. It’s probably pretty cool for them to see that tonight, too.â€
He said his first call would probably go to younger brother Oasiz, an undrafted junior star who is playing his first season for the Predators’ AHL affiliate.
The next dream is for them to play together in the bigs.
“Heâ€s playing awesome hockey in Milwaukee right now too, so Iâ€m super proud of him and how he’s developing,†Wiesblatt said.
“It’s just super cool.â€
So was the vibe at Bridgestone Arena where the crowd was still buzzing from Reid Schaeferâ€s first NHL goal, and Steven Stamkos†1,200th NHL point, when Weisblatt jammed a Michael Bunting pass past Devin Cooley to put the Predators up 4-0.
As he was congratulated by linemates on the ice, the rest of his team was bouncing with excitement, thrilled to welcome the popular youngster with fist bumps and hugs.
As he skated their way, he gave the skyward point that melted everyone in attendance.
“Very special,†said Stamkos.
“Obviously a touching moment for him and his family, and what they’ve had to endure this year has been difficult for them. You can’t even describe a feeling I’m sure that they’ve had. I think that was a very special moment in a trying year for their family, and we felt the energy on the bench. I’m sure if you had a video camera on the bench, it was probably the biggest celebration of the year.
“You know how hard he’s worked, what he’s gone through, and to be honest, probably should have about 10 goals the way he’s played this year. And it’s a testament to him that he just continues to go to the tough areas on the ice to utilize that speed and tenacity and the skill that he has. So, it was great to see him finally get rewarded.â€
To do it against the Flames, on a Calgary broadcast that also saw him drop the gloves with Blake Coleman, only added to the feels.
“With Ozzy, everything he’s gone through, to see him score… it was probably the biggest eruption on the bench we’ve had all year,†confirmed Preds coach Andrew Brunette following a 5-1 win that saw his club pull into a last-place tie with Calgary.
“So happy for them.
“It makes you emotional in a lot of different ways. A pretty special thing, just being on the bench and seeing the emotion not just from Ozzy, but also from our team speaks volumes of the group of guys we have, and how close they are.
“It’s moments like that you play the game for.â€
Wiesblatt spoke of how proud and excited he was to share Schaeferâ€s big night (the Edmonton native had his first goal and a fight with his family in attendance) and felt like the Stamkos milestone in his memorable evening added to the pinch-me moments leading up to it.
“It’s ridiculous, they are video game numbers,†chuckled Wiesblatt of ol†Stammerâ€s 1,200th.
“Itâ€s so cool to be playing on his team. I remember, not even too far back, I’m playing NHL (video games) and I’m Steven Stamkos. So cool to be around him, and for him to hit a milestone like that. It’s super special.â€
So enthused by the evening, he insisted it never occurred to him he was just an assist away from the Gordie Howe hat trick.
“I got hit, and just wanted to defend myself,†he said of his fight with Coleman.
“Too bad Mac (Michael McCarron) wasn’t there to save me for the 100th time. But yeah, just want to defend myself, and it was just one of those things I felt like I had to do.â€
Much like the skyward point to honour big bro.
It was a memorable night for a trio of Nashville Predators in their 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday at Bridgestone Arena.
Reid Schaefer, who was called up from the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, scored his first NHL goal and recorded his first career fight against Brayden Pachal.
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Steven Stamkos netted his 1200th career point and Ozzy Wiesblatt scored his first career NHL goal. Jonathan Marchessault added a goal in the second period, his fifth of the season. Michael Bunting also scored in the third period.
Juuse Saros picked up his eighth win of the season, making 27 saves on 28 shots. His shutout bid was spoiled in the third period by a power-play goal from Morgan Frost.
It was a heavily penalized game as the Predators were in the box 20 minutes to the Flames 18.
“There were a lot of special moments for a bunch of different people,” Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. “That’s what makes the game great and to cap it off with a win makes it even better.”
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Here are three takeaways from the Predators victory over the Flames.
The Predators have a deep prospect pool and one of the players leading the charge into the future is Schaefer. He earned his first career call-up on Friday after recording 14 points in 15 games with the Milwaukee Admirals.
In the first period, Fedor Svechkov made a toe-drag move to open up the slot and get a shot on net. His original attempt was saved, but Schaefer was in front to put the puck in via the right post.
“I kind of blacked out. It went into the net and I was like ‘oh, what did I do here,’ Schaefer said. “It’s a pretty cool moment.”
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He wasn’t done there as he’d square off with Calgary’s Brayden Pachal in the second period. Pachal got the better end of the fight, but that did not stop Schaefer from hyping up the crowd after the tilt.
“I just laid a hit and he (Pachal) said let’s go. I got up and dropped the gloves,” Schaefer said. “I didn’t really think too much of it.”
In a year full of struggles, the Predators have looked to their youth, and it’s paid off throughout the season. Schaefer’s first career goal was the third time a Nashville rookie has found the back of the net alongside Ozzy Weisblatt and Matthew Wood.
Schaefer’s family was also in attendance for Tuesday’s game.
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Stamkos’ tenure in Nashville has been rough to say the least. In 25 games, he has just 10 points, but he’s had moments throughout these two seasons that serve as reminders of how decorated his career is.
In the second period, Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Evangelista sparked a 2-on-1 rush. Instead of shooting the puck, Evangelista took it behind the net, causing goalie Devin Cooley to start sliding. Stamkos caught the pass from Evangelista and had a wide-open net to shoot into.
It was Stamkos’ 1200th career point in his 1190th career game. Doing some quick math, that is around a point a game over his 18-year career.
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“It’s cool and special. You can enjoy it more in a win, and you get to celebrate a little bit,” Stamkos said. “It’s more of a thing that you kind of look back on when your career’s over. When you’re in it, you’re just trying to do what you kind of help.”
Playing with Stamkos has left an impression on a few of the younger Predators players and seeing him reach another impressive milestone makes the moment more surreal.
“They’re video game numbers,” Weisblatt said on Stamkos’ scoring his 1200th career point. “It’s cool to be playing on his team. I remember not too far back, I’m playing (EA Sports) NHL, and I’m (playing as) Steven Samkos.”
Patience paid off for Weisblatt in the second period as the Predators’ rookie netted his first career NHL goal after 23 games played this season. He has done just about everything over the last two months, from enforcing, penalty killing and contributing to three other goals.
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Off a shot from Michael Bunting, Weisblatt tipped the puck just enough to deflect it past Cooley. In an exasperated celebration, Weisblatt pointed to the sky when skating back to the bench, honoring his late brother, Orca Weisblatt.
“It’s about time,” Weisblatt said on scoring his first goal. “I feel like I’ve been all over it lately, and I’ve had so many chances this year to score and been robbed a ton. It’s just, just relief for me. I’ve thought about pointing to the sky for my brother for a while now, and it’s cool feeling.
“That was for him (Orca) and just huge relief for me.”
Orca died in September in a car accident, while Ozzy and brother Oasiz were at Predators training camp.
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With Weisblatt working toward netting his first of his career and playing for his brother, both Stamkos and Brunette said that celebration on the bench was the most explosive of the season.
“It makes you emotional in a lot of different ways,” Brunette said. “You’re involved in a pretty special thing. Just being on the bench and seeing the emotion that just not just from Ozzy (Weisblatt) and seeing what he did speaks volumes of the group of guys we have and how close they are.”
Similar to Schaefer, Weisblatt didn’t stop at his first NHL goal. He tried to drop the gloves against Calgary’s Joel Farabee, but instead, both were called for roughing in the first period.
Weisblatt’s night ended early as he’d fight Blake Coleman and head back to the locker room after the tilt.
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Up next: Nashville Predators (9-13-4) at Florida Panthers (12-12-1) on Thursday at 6 p.m. CST
RALEIGH – Breaking the silence in a dressing room quieted by a 1-0 overtime loss, Devin Cooley was asked about the opportunity heâ€s been presented.
In a season in which the Calgary Flames’ backup wasnâ€t expected to get many more than a half dozen starts by Christmas, his number was called Sunday for the fifth time in six games.
No, Dustin Wolf is not nursing an injury, nor are they resting him.
Cooley has simply played his way to prominence, with numbers that have him among league leaders in goals against (1.88) and save percentage (.930).
On Sunday, he was at his best once again, keeping the Flames in a tight game against the leagueâ€s third-best offence, until Nikolaj Ehlers poked home the winner three minutes into extra time.
When asked how heâ€s managed to break through in such dramatic fashion, the 28-year-old rookie said his key is keeping it loose.
“I’m laughing, I’m smiling, I’m singing, you know, I’m making jokes,†said Cooley despite losing out on his first NHL shutout minutes earlier.
“(Andrei) Svechnikov comes up to me and he goes, ‘Give me a goal.’ And Iâ€m like, ‘I donâ€t want to give you a goal.†He says, ‘maybe five-hole?,†and I say ‘maybe.â€â€
He then cited a third-period turnover of his that prompted him to have to poke away a centring pass.
“Itâ€s a horrible play by me, but then I go in the corner, Iâ€m like laughing, Iâ€m looking at Wolfie and heâ€s laughing too,†said Cooley, who stopped 16 of 17 shots in a 1-0 loss.
“It just helps take away the severity of the mistakes you make and makes the game a lot more fun. Thatâ€s when I play my best.
“When I stop having fun, and I start gripping my stick a little too hard, thatâ€s when maybe I donâ€t play so good. So Iâ€m just gonna continue to try to have as much fun as possible.â€
Anecdotes like these are not normal in a hockey world in which beige is always the colour of the day, and sticking out is shunned.
As coach Ryan Huska joked recently when asked about Cooleyâ€s oversharing, “When I hear things like that, I just think, ‘goalie.â€â€
Craig Conroy thinks the same thing, but admits heâ€s been chastised by his wife for doing so.
“My wife even mentions that, because I’ll say, ‘Whoa, that was a lot,†and she goes, ‘Craig, you used to say some stuff too,â€â€ laughed the Flames GM, who was one of the more colourful, chatty types as a player. Â
“So, I get it. That’s just his personality. But, again, sometimes you’re like, ‘Oh, why would you say that?†Itâ€s just the wording sometimes. But then you hear the response, and people love it. It’s just kind of a breath of fresh air, and he’s being him. It’s fun.â€
It started with the day he arrived at camp from San Jose two summers ago with a road trip tale that involved two flat tires, his pet rabbit Tito and an accident involving a truck spilling exploding whipped cream canisters.
Every chat since is full of animation, including the recent revelation that during games, he repeats a simple mantra to calm himself: “Nothing matters. Nobody cares. Weâ€re all going to die.â€
“I’m trying not to think too much about myself at all,†said Cooley, who went from being the best goalie in the AHL last season to the worst following a mid-season concussion.
“I think in previous years, and maybe even in pre-season, I was just so focused internally, stressed and second-guessing myself. And now it’s like, I’m only focused on what’s happening outside, and what the other team is doing, and trying to have a lot of fun while I play.Â
“I just continue to learn and continue to get better, and hopefully I can continue that for the whole season, because anybody in this league can have a stretch of, like, 10 good games as a goalie, but the test is if you can do it consistently over a season. So that’s kind of my goal is just to continue to progress and continue to be consistent.â€
Heâ€s getting more chances to do that, which is a significant development for a team worried in the pre-season it would have to play Wolf upwards of 60 times.
“Devin has been really good, so there isnâ€t a sense that we have to overplay Dustin,†said Huska, explaining his decision to keep playing Cooley.
“We have two good goaltenders now and Devin has proven that we need to look at him that way. Heâ€s finding a way to get us points and making key saves at the right time, so you want to reward him.â€
Asked if he could have fathomed getting a cluster of starts like this, given the pre-season struggles he had, he shrugged.
“I try not to think about it, you know, and I’ve said this a few times before, like, I don’t care if I play 50 games or five games or I’m not even here,†said Cooley.
“I just want to continue to take things day by day and continue to have fun with it. This is my purpose in life right now, you know? And this is what gives me energy and what gives me happiness, and what I enjoy more than anything. And I’m just happy to be here and continuing to learn and grow.â€
The Calgary Flames have decided to put faith in their current front office as they navigate a rebuild.
General manager Craig Conroy has been extended on a two-year contract, the Flames announced Friday.
Calgary also signed president of hockey operations Don Maloney, senior vice-president of hockey operations/assistant general manager Dave Nonis and vice-president of hockey operations/assistant general manager Brad Pascall to two-year extensions.
According to the team, each of the two-year extensions was signed before the season.
All will be under contract through the 2027-28 season. Calgary’s new arena, Scotia Place, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2027.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to continue leading this hockey club,†said Conroy, in a statement shared by the club. “We have made important strides the last two years, and I believe in the culture of this team. We are excited about the future, and we are all committed to do everything we can to bring success to this franchise.â€
Conroy has been the Flames’ GM since May 2023, when Brad Treliving departed the organization for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Previously, he served as assistant GM under Treliving from 2014 to 2023.
The Potsdam, N.Y., native joins recently extended head coach Ryan Huska, who also signed a two-year deal that will keep him under contract until 2028.
The Flames haven’t made the playoffs since 2022.
— with files from The Canadian Press
Sometimes, NHL figures on the hot seat deserve a bit of credit.
Even if a team sits near the bottom of the standings, if it can string together some wins, it’s showing some glimpse of hope that it can turn things around and climb back into the playoff race.
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On this week’s edition of the NHL’s Hot Seat Radar, the Buffalo Sabres‘ coach did earn that credit despite his team still being 4-6-0 in its last 10 games.
But a Calgary Flames executive did not get his flowers for his team winning three straight in the past week. In fact, he’s featured on the Hot Seat Radar for the first time despite GM Craig Conroy and coach Ryan Huska being mentioned previously as having a lot of pressure to steer the team in the right direction.
As a reminder, being on TheHockeyNews.com’s Hot Seat Radar doesn’t automatically mean the person is about to get sent away from the team. But in every case, it means there’s a lot of pressure to improve. And if you’re looking for Toronto Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube, read last week’s edition for more on him. Onward, ho:
Cooling Down: Lindy Ruff, Coach, Buffalo Sabres
The Sabres were on deathâ€s door early in the season, as they sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.
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But you have to give credit to Ruff’s Sabres, which won four of their past six games – including wins over the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers and Detroit Red Wings.
Wednesday’s loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins means they’re back in last place in the Eastern Conference, so it’s baby steps for sure in Buffalo.
Ruff probably doesnâ€t have to worry about being replaced in the next few weeks at least, but heâ€s still under tremendous pressure to continue producing wins.
There are no more moral victories in Sabres Land. If Ruff strings together a few losses instead of wins, he’ll be back to having a red-hot seat on our radar.
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Warming Up: Don Maloney, President Of Hockey Operations, Calgary Flames
The president of hockey operations of the team that’s second-last in the NHL said “no one has an appetite to just burn it to the studs, take it all down,” amid a three-year playoff drought.
That’s what Don Maloney told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis in a lengthy Q&A published last Friday.
He said there’s examples of teams taking potentially decades to rebuild (hello, Buffalo), and the draft is an inexact thing where there’s no guarantee they can get a superstar or franchise-level player.
“We prefer a Dallas model, where they got Miro Heiskanen at three, but also got good players in the 20s, in the 30s,” Maloney told Francis. “Weâ€ve got to be better in our drafting and developing, versus saying, ‘let’s just lose easy for everybody.’ We don’t want that culture as part of this organization.”
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When asked whether it’s enticing to simply lean into this rough start when there’s a top-heavy draft including Gavin McKenna, Maloney said this isn’t fantasy hockey, and the Flames hope to get a top-level player no matter where they draft.
The Flames have made the playoffs five times in 16 seasons. Their top scorer is 35-year-old Nazem Kadri, with 18 points.
They have promising youngsters Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato and Zayne Parekh as potential future leaders of the core, with Cullen Potter, Cole Reschny and Hunter Brzustewicz as blue-chip prospects. But they need a lot more than them to have an elite team in the long term.
So it’s no surprise #FireDonMaloney was spammed on the Flames’ Instagram page. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman even described the comments as pouring gasoline on the fire in the Canadian market. And it’s no surprise Maloney lands in this week’s Hot Seat Radar. – Jonathan Tovell
The Nashville Predators’ Future Depends On Their Response To A Nearly Lost Season
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Warming Up: Andrew Brunette, Coach, Nashville Predators
Itâ€s getting bowling-shoe ugly in Nashville, as the Predators lost eight of their last 10 games and have the fewest points in the NHL.
Preds GM Barry Trotz gave Brunette a vote of confidence in an interview with The Tennessean. Let’s just say it’s not a good situation if a GM has to give a coach a vote of confidence. Leafs fans will remember Brian Burke continuously defending coach Ron Wilson before it couldn’t go on any longer.
“When (St. Louis Blues GM) Doug Armstrong hired (Jim) Montgomery, he said, ‘This is my coach for a while,†Trotz said. “When I hired (Brunette), I said, ‘This is my coach for the next while.†â€
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Trotz also questioned whether it’s the right thing to get rid of a young coach for what he suggested is a sugar high of a coaching bump.
Weâ€ll see how Trotz reacts when Nashvilleâ€s playoff hopes are a smoking pile of ash.
Brunette wouldnâ€t be the first coach to pay the price for prolonged stretches of terrible hockey, and he wouldnâ€t be the last. And while Trotz has to be held to account for giving Brunette this group of players, Trotz is going nowhere. Brunette, on the other hand, is another story entirely.
Edmonton Oilers’ Inability To Sustain Momentum Is A Major Problem
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Warming Up: Kris Knoblauch, Coach, Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers got crushed Tuesday when the Dallas Stars showed them what a real Cup front-runner looks like, beating Edmonton 8-3. The loss dropped the Oilers†record to 10-10-5. They currently sit 11th in the Western Conference and sixth in the Pacific Division.
If you told people over the summer that the San Jose Sharks would be ahead of Edmonton in the Pacific standings by American Thanksgiving, you didn’t deserve to be laughed out of the room.
Nobodyâ€s laughing in Oilers World right now – least of all, Knoblauch, who canâ€t coax a solid defensive game out of his team. And once again, goaltending is proving to be an issue in Edmonton. The Oilers look lost on ‘Dâ€, and they currently canâ€t protect Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.
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Itâ€s all adding up to Knoblauch feeling tighter around the collar than he was prior to Game No. 1 this season. That first game came against the Calgary Flames, and the Oilers blew a 3-0 lead to lose 4-3 in a shootout. That has set the tone for a thoroughly disappointing year for this team.
Knoblauch is now tasked with righting Edmontonâ€s ship, but sooner than later, there could be dire straits ahead for the Oilers. Heâ€s not going to be fired imminently, but he will feel more heat if he canâ€t end the misery around his team.
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TAMPA BAY – Itâ€s quite possible Wednesdayâ€s turkey in Tampa might be one of the worst starts to a Calgary Flames game in decades.
A game-opening chance by Jonathan Huberdeau was immediately turned up ice for a Brandon Hagel goal 39 seconds in.
The second shot of the game also beat Dustin Wolf cleanly, staking the hosts to a 2-0 lead a mere 1:26 in.
Five minutes in, it was 3-0 when the fourth shot on net saw Kevin Bahl tip a centring pass out of the air and past his own netminder.
Split seconds after backup Devin Cooley pieced together his gear and skated out to relieve Wolf of his duties, Elliotte Friedman put out a tweet reiterating what was written in this space days earlier, reporting a contract extension for Craig Conroy was close to being done.
As popular as the third-year Flames GM is in town, it certainly wasnâ€t the moment for frustrated Flames fans to stomach news of any sort.
A fourth goal for the hosts came at the halfway mark of the first.
In the midst of an 0-for-5 stretch for Calgaryâ€s power play, two Lightning blasts ricocheted off the Flames’ crossbar in the second, followed by a fifth goal that was mercifully waived off for goalie interference.
Then came a slightly more comical slice of disrespect, courtesy of the Lightningâ€s public address announcer, who announced a late Flames slashing penalty to, “No. 20, Blake Thompson.â€
Um, not to split hairs, but that would be Blake Coleman, who won two Stanley Cups as a once-beloved member of the Bolts.
“I asked the guy in the box if I had heard that right and they were laughing,†said Coleman, able to find a sliver of humour in the mix-up.
“I could hear people laughing beside me on the glass.â€
“He got the time of the penalty wrong too,†added Coleman, who took part in Stanley Cup boat parades in 2020 and 2021.
An affable chap, always willing to dole out the benefit of the doubt, Coleman offered up a possibility:
“Maybe they got a new PA announcer.â€
Indeed, a 5-1 loss at Benchmark International Arena marked one of those nights where everything that could go wrong did, especially in the opening five minutes.
It was a jarring start for a Flames team that flew south starting to feel good about itself with three wins in a row.
And while thereâ€s nothing like a visit to Florida these days to humble even the hottest of teams, what made the loss worse was that the injury-depleted Lightning scorers only included two of the usual suspects in Hagel and Nikita Kucherov.
Other lamplighters included Declan Carlile, Charle-Edouard Dâ€Astous and Zemgus Girgensons.
“We knew they were a good first-period team, especially in this building, and they put us right on our heels,†said captain Mikael Backlund.
“Of course, Huby has a great chance to score and (it would be) 1-0 and it could be a different game, but they score five seconds later and we didnâ€t help ourselves.â€
Things settled down by nightâ€s end, as the Flames picked up their bootstraps and forced Andrei Vasilevskiy to make 32 saves, while Cooley made 17.
Joel Farabee was the lone goal scorer, scoring shorthanded early in the third for his fourth goal in as many games.
On to play the Panthers next, in a Friday afternoon game the Flames will be heavy underdogs in once again.Â
Stay tuned on the Conroy front, as the organization has been looking for the right time to shoehorn the news into a nightmarish start that has the 8-14-3 Flames sitting 31st in the league.
Conroy wasnâ€t at the game, but was in Lethbridge, watching the finale of the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge in preparation for what will be a busy draft.
Yes, as weâ€ve said here all week, heâ€s the right man to continue adding to the rebuild thatâ€s already afoot, armed with patience and a likeability needed to steer the club through some rough waters ahead.
But on this night, it was hard for anyone to see past the mess this team is right now.
TAMPA, Fla. — Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 shots, Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov each had a goal and assist and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Calgary Flames 5-1 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory.
Zemgus Girgensons, Charle-Edouard Dâ€Astous and Declan Carlile also scored and Jake Guentzel had two assists to help the Lightning match their longest streak of the season. They have won 13 of the past 16 games.
Vasilevskiy made 18 saves in the third period. He won his fifth consecutive start, allowing one-or-fewer goals in each of those starts.
Joel Farabee scored for Calgary. Devin Cooley stopped 17 shots in relief of Dustin Wolf, who was pulled at the 5:52 mark of the first period after allowing three goals on four shots. The Flames had won three in a row.
Tampa Bay scored twice in the first 1:26 and four times in the first 10:01, the third-fastest four goals to start a game in franchise history.
Hagel started things off 39 seconds in off the rush, beating Wolf with a wrist shot from the left circle. Dâ€Astous fired a slap shot from the center point at 1:26.
Girgensons made it 3-0 at 5:52 when his attempted pass to the net deflected off the stick of Calgaryâ€s Kevin Bahl and chased Wolf. It was the 200th NHL point for Girgensons. He’s the third player from Latvia to reach the mark, joining Sandis Ozolish and Sergei Zholtok.
Carlile completed the first-period scoring for Tampa Bay with a quick shot from the left circle that beat Cooley at 10:01.
Farabee scored short-handed for Calgary 1:04 into the third.
Flames: At Florida on Friday
Lightning: At Detroit on Friday
TAMPA – Never mind salvaging the season, the Calgary Flames need to safeguard their future.
And that starts with signing Craig Conroy to a contract extension.
It should have happened months ago, as itâ€s beyond insulting for him to have been operating this season as a rare, lame-duck GM whose contract runs out next summer.
That is, of course, unless an extension has already been quietly agreed to. Â
Thatâ€s certainly a possibility, as ownership is well aware of how well the popular spokesman for the club has navigated through choppy waters over the last two-plus years.
The club may simply be waiting to find the right time to make it public, which has been tricky due to the optics of announcing that the man in charge of the leagueâ€s 31st-ranked squad is being extended.
And so we wait, with everyone outside the organization pondering whether the team is somewhat directionless without him getting the nod to plot a clear path through the new series of tests that await.
Despite the teamâ€s current standing, there is certainly no shame in what Conroy has done to date.
Given how well he re-shaped the team through two years of tumult, heâ€s proven he has the patience and smarts to continue putting pieces in place as part of a rebuild/retool/hybuild (hybrid rebuild) he kickstarted to help stabilize a team in significant flux.
The players trust him, they like him, and they respect him, as he was once one of them.
Equally as important is the fact heâ€s beloved in the community.
Now, perhaps more than ever, heâ€s needed to not only pave the way forward, but also be the one to shape the messaging hockey president Don Maloney struggled with last week.
As one of the most popular players ever to wear the Flaming C, heâ€s built up plenty of emotional equity with a fan base heâ€s asking to be patient.
Itâ€s time to give Conroy another three-year mandate to continue trying to accumulate and develop a young core capable of taking over from the veteran leadership group when the time is right.
Long-term vision is what’s needed most.
As players are dealt, acquired, drafted and developed moving forward, there needs to be one stabilizing voice mapping the way, setting the tone and staving off criticism from a growing number of impatient fans.
Heâ€s done it before, as evidenced by the mess he tackled admirably his first year when he had to trade away key veterans Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin.
By seasonâ€s end, he managed to stabilize the team, putting a cherry on it in the summer by trading Markstrom and Andrew Mangiapane in separate deals.Â
The second-rounder for Mangiapane turned into highly-touted Theo Stockselius.
The Markstrom swap with New Jersey will pay off for years to come, landing the Flames Kevin Bahl, first-rounder Cole Reschny and opening the door for franchise backbone Dustin Wolf to become a Calder finalist.
Despite being criticized by knee-jerk fans at the time, it proved to be his finest hour.
The Lindholm trade was equally as shrewd, landing the Flames Andrei Kuzmenko, Joni Jurmo, Hunter Brzustewicz, a conditional fourth-round pick and a 2024 first-rounder that turned into one of the organizationâ€s most exciting prospects, Matvei Gridin.Â
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Kuzmenko was later packaged up to help the Flames land top-six forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.
Both trades are well-orchestrated gifts that keep on giving.
Although perceived as a deal in which Conroy was backed into a corner, the Hanifin swap gave the Flames a third-rounder last year (Kirill Zarubin) and a first-rounder from Vegas in this yearâ€s deep draft.
His moves havenâ€t all been home runs (see Yegor Sharangovichâ€s extension), but his track record is full of patient, well-thought-out transactions that demonstrate he is capable of boldly moving the organization forward. Â
Debate all you want which veterans should be shipped out, which youngsters should be brought in, and how the team should react to a playoff-ending start that has the fan base in a tizzy.
But the reality is there is only one obvious first step that needs to be taken: ink the architect, giving him a runway on which to build something the city can be proud and excited about a year, two or three after the new arena opens.
Ownership was proven right when it took a chance on Conroy to be the clubâ€s rookie GM.
The group put even more faith in Conroy when they approved his recommendation to promote Ryan Huska from assistant to head coach.
Conroyâ€s intuition was right on Huska, as evidenced by the two-year extension he just inked to continue managing the bench.
Now itâ€s Conroyâ€s turn.
If it hasnâ€t already been signed, you can bet it will be.
Given the noise, frustration, uncertainty and importance of charting the right course, thereâ€s no better man for the job.
And thereâ€s no better time than now to make it public.
VANCOUVER – If this isnâ€t rock bottom for the Vancouver Canucks, it will do until rock bottom gets here.
The team determined to bounce back from last yearâ€s 90-point, non-playoff season is now three games under .500 for the first time since March 2023 and on pace for 71 points, which would be the Canucks†worst National Hockey League season since 1999.
On Sunday, rested and playing a tired team that happened to have the poorest record in hockey, the Canucks surrendered five straight goals to the Calgary Flames and lost 5-2 at Rogers Arena.
Injuries alone donâ€t explain how a team that planned to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring is now five points behind in the wildcard race at 9-12-2 – with just three wins at home this season.
The race the Canucks are falling into is for last place in the NHL and the best lottery odds in the Gavin McKenna draft sweepstakes.
There are, of course, 59 games to go, so the Canucks have plenty of time to rescue themselves. Or they could get worse.
The Flames, whose three-game winning streak mirrors the Canucks†three-game dive, are now only one point behind Vancouver and passed the Nashville Predators on winning percentage on Sunday. The Tennesseans are last in the NHL with 16 points, four behind the Canucks with two games in-hand.
So, yes, the Canucks are closer to last place overall than the final playoff spot.
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“It stings,†winger Kiefer Sherwood said. “All of us are competitors and we expect better results for all the work that we’re putting in. Weâ€ve got to continue to grind through it . . . get back to work tomorrow. It’s a big road trip for us. I still think weâ€ve got a lot of good pieces in this room. Weâ€ve just got to put it together on a consistent basis.â€
The Canucks are on their second three-game losing streak of the season. They havenâ€t won consecutive games in five weeks.
After an encouraging performance Thursday, when they outplayed the Dallas Stars for stretches but lost on a pair of third-period goals, the Canucks were excellent in the first period against Calgary and then fairly awful after that.
Sundayâ€s loss feels like a low point.
“I think so,†winger Brock Boeser said. “Especially because we played such a good game last game, and tonight our first period was so good. And then we let them take over the game, and they tilted the ice. We lost the battle in front of our net. We knew they like to shoot pucks and get to the net, and we knew the game plan (and) didn’t execute it.â€
After Filip Hronek made it 1-0 for Vancouver on a two-on-one just 1:05 after the opening faceoff, Calgary’s Morgan Frost was open in the high slot to guide a redirect past Canuck goalie Kevin Lankinen at 7:43. And just 25 seconds after that, Connor Zary beat Aatu Raty to a rebound to make it 2-1 for Calgary, which beat Dallas in a shootout the night before in Alberta.
The Canucks†second period against the Stars was one of their best at home this season, but the middle period against the Flames was one of their worst.
With momentum from three power plays, one of them from an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to Canuck Evander Kane, Calgary outshot Vancouver 11-6 and seized control of the game with a pair of goals.
At 10:37, Kevin Bahl banked a centring pass off Canuck defenceman Tom Willander, who had been pushed into his own crease by Joel Farabee. And at 16:31, Yegor Sharangovich batted another rebound past Lankinen, whose catching glove ejected the puck from Rasmus Anderssonâ€s unscreened point shot.
Calgary had three goals on 11 shots, four goals on 17 shots and finished with five on 21 against Lankinen.
Flames forward Blake Coleman, with a one-handed finish on a short-handed two-on-one, and Canucks captain Quinn Hughes traded meaningless third-period goals.
“Second and third, not our best hockey,†Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers said. “And we have to look at it and we have to get better.
“You take a look at that Dallas game, I thought it was one of our better team games of the year. I thought we deserved more. And then we came out tonight . . . I thought we came out strong and then, for whatever reason, we just lost it. We have to address that, you know, figure out why and figure out ways to be more consistent and bring our best game each and every night.â€
The Canucks have had their best game very few nights this season, although theyâ€ve also yet to have their full lineup.
Rookie head coach Adam Foote has been missing as many as nine players, although Hughes noted last week that every team during the hyper-condensed NHL schedule seems to have “four or five†players injured. The Canucks†current toll is five.
Two of the long-term injuries – to centres Filip Chytil and Teddy Blueger and suffered in the same game on Oct. 19 – hollowed the Canucks down the middle at a position where they were already dangerously thin. Newest Canuck David Kampf, cast adrift last week by the Toronto Maple Leafs, is now centring the second line in Vancouver despite a career high of 20 points.
Foote indicated after Saturdayâ€s practice that the Canucks†problems at centre ice have been a key factor in the teamâ€s defensive metrics, which had been trending better but are still alarmingly down from last season.
“I mean, our defensive-zone (system) hasn’t changed the last three years,†Foote insisted. “We’re working on it. When you lose that many guys up the middle at once, it’s just logic that . . . numbers are going to go down. I mean, I don’t know how they can’t. Right, that’s logic to everybody? It’s logic to me.â€
But it doesnâ€t fully explain where the Canucks are.
If they were playing better in their own zone, getting more saves and werenâ€t last in the NHL in penalty killing, they wouldnâ€t be three games under .500 as U.S. Thanksgiving approaches this week.
“For sure, yeah,†Boeser said of the teamâ€s ability to do better, even with the players theyâ€re missing. “The last road trip, we were 1-1-1 (against Carolina, Tampa and Florida) and I thought that was pretty good. Obviously coming home, this was a big opportunity for us, and we haven’t won a game. So yeah, it feels very hard and frustrating right now. Obviously, there’s guys injured, but no excuses. Next man up. And you know, guys have to contribute, especially myself.â€
The Canucks practise Monday before leaving the next day on another difficult trip against the three California teams and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.
Blueger may go on the trip but it doesnâ€t appear the return of any of their injured players is imminent.