Browsing: Flames

Yegor Sharangovich will be back on the ice Friday night after watching the last two games from the press box.

The Calgary Flames forward returns to the lineup against the Winnipeg Jets after being a healthy scratch for the past two games, head coach Ryan Huska confirmed after the team’s Friday morning skate.

Forward Justin Kirkland will come out of the lineup to make room for Sharangovich.

Sharangovich, 27, has just an assist through the first six games of the season and is a minus-3. Last season, he had 17 goals and 32 points in 73 games, a noticeable dip from the 31 goals and 59 points he had in 82 games in the 2023-24 season.

His performance during the 2023-24 season earned him a five-year, $28.75-million deal ($5.75 million AAV) in July 2024.

Sportsnet analyst Kevin Bieksa criticized Sharangovich for failing to finish a check on William Karlsson late in the game during an intermission report on Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada.

“I would absolutely lose my mind if I saw that on the bench,†said Bieksa.

“Thatâ€s a culture thing for me. I would show that clip in practice and say, ‘Where are my guys that care?†Play the guys that care. If youâ€re going to get an effort like that, get rid of him. Youâ€re disgracing the NHL with an effort like that. Be a little mad. Hate to lose. That guy doesnâ€t hate to lose.Â

“You have so many good young players … you have a young nucleus and you canâ€t have them poisoned by that type of behaviour.”

In some good news for the slumping Flames, Huska said Nazem Kadri is “totally good” after the forward missed practice on Thursday.

After winning their season opener against the Edmonton Oilers, the Flames have managed just one point over their last seven games and sit dead last in the NHL.

You can watch the Flames try and get back in the win column against the Jets live on Sportsnet West and Sportsnet+ starting at 8 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. MT.

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CALGARY — The Calgary Flames are on the cusp of what almost certainly looks like a lost season.

And the latest team to help put them there is a perfect example of how the Flames should proceed from here.

A 2-1 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday extended the Flames losing skid to seven, giving them just three points in their opening eight games.

Only 10 teams in the last 40 years have started that poorly and made the playoffs.

Itâ€s time to start looking at what a proper rebuild can look like, and thereâ€s no better example right now than Montreal.

The difference in Wednesdayâ€s highly entertaining affair was a world-class play by Ivan Demidov that set up Mike Mathesonâ€s winner.

Two nights earlier another gritty outing by the Flames was doused by a Mark Scheifele finish that served as a reminder of the difference between the Flames and playoff contenders — high-end skill.

The Flames donâ€t have those type of players.

“I mean, I can’t generate offence,†said Wolf, the Flames’ franchise player, frustrated by his clubâ€s inability to convert more than one of the 37 shots directed at Jakub Dobes.

 “I do my job, I try to keep the puck out of our net, and hope that our guys can generate a couple. I’m glad we got one there. We got a point, but weâ€ve got to keep working to find more offence.â€

They couldnâ€t find it last season, and thereâ€s no reason to believe theyâ€ll discover it in time to save this season.

The loss to Montreal, in which the only Flames scorer was fourth-liner Adam Klapka, hammered that point home once again.

This is Year 4 of the re-imagined Habs, who are off to a 6-2 start, good for a first-place tie atop the NHL standings.

Look waaaay down, and there lies the Flames with just 12 goals, a minus-16 differential and a team shooting percentage that looks closer to the GST than to the league’s norm.

It puts them on track to be the top lottery draft contenders for the first-overall pick, Gavin McKenna — a rallying cry that has already been adopted by a Flames fan base frustrated by three decades of mid-round draft picks.

Itâ€s time to get serious about bottoming out like the Habs did in 2022, just one year after a surprise run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

That was the year they drafted Juraj Slafkovsky first overall, followed by Lane Hutson in the second round as part of two straight seasons of pain, patience, and pruning.

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And now? Despite being the youngest team in the league, theyâ€re on the cusp of something real. Something sustainable. Something the Flames desperately need to emulate.

Montrealâ€s rebuild began in earnest in 2022, when Kent Hughes took over as general manager and Martin St. Louis stepped behind the bench. What followed was a masterclass in modern roster construction: a blend of savvy drafting, bold trades, and strategic free-agent signings that have transformed the Habs from a floundering franchise into one of the leagueâ€s most promising young cores in relatively short order.

Letâ€s start with the draft.

Juraj Slafkovskyâ€s development curve has been gradual, but heâ€s now anchoring the top line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, two players who represent the heart of Montrealâ€s rebuild. Both forced Wolf to make several huge stops to keep the game within reach early Wednesday.

Second rounder Oliver Kapanen, 22, is centring the second line alongside 19-year-old Demidov, who seems destined for stardom after being taken fifth overall in 2024.Â

Suzuki was acquired in the Max Pacioretty trade back in 2018, while Caufield was a 2019 first-rounder. Together, theyâ€ve grown into leaders and offensive stars.

On the blue line, Montreal has stockpiled talent through the draft and trades. Hutson, who won the Calder last year, headlines a blue line bolstered heavily by the acquisition of Noah Dobson this off-season. It added a proven top-four defenceman, signalling the Canadiens are ready to shift from rebuilding to competing.

Those close to the team say the key to the teamâ€s linear ascension has been a culture fostered by veterans like Josh Anderson, Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, Mike Matheson and Sean Monahan, who the team cashed in on.

The Flames have built a similarly impressive culture, but donâ€t have enough difference-makers in their midst.

Montreal qualified for the playoffs last season for the first time in four years, and while they bowed out early, the experience was invaluable.

The Flames have long been stuck in hockey purgatory — not bad enough to bottom out, not good enough to contend.

It needs to end, meaning this early faceplant could be a blessing.

Itâ€s time for Calgary to stop chasing the final playoff spot and start building something meaningful. That means embracing a lost season or two leading up to the new building.

The blueprint is right there in Montreal. Draft well. Develop patiently. Make smart trades. Donâ€t be afraid to lose in the short term.

The Canadiens didnâ€t panic when the losses piled up, they stayed the course. And now theyâ€re reaping the rewards.

Calgary has several pieces to build around, like Wolf, Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin and Cole Reschny.

But they need more, which is why using a fruitful draft as a springboard is key.

This is a star-driven league, and those teams without them get left behind, as Flames fans know all too well.

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Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal (6-2-0), which has won six of seven after a season-opening loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Adam Klapka scored the lone goal for Calgary (1-6-1), which has gone seven games without a win after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in its season-opener.

In a goaltending duel, Montreal rookie Jakub Dobes made 36 saves to earn the win and improve to a perfect 4-0-0.

Dustin Wolf, runner-up last year for the NHL’s Calder Trophy for rookie of the year, had 26 stops. He fell to 1-5-1.

Both goalies were busy all night, with Dobes facing the highest quantity of chances, but Wolf staring down the higher quality of chances.

Montreal led 1-0 heading into the third period when the Flames tied it at 5:56. Klapka capitalized on a Noah Dobson turnover in front, stealing the puck and scoring five-hole.

Canadiens: Bolduc continues to shine in his first season with the Canadiens. His four goals were just one back of Cole Caufield for the team lead. The 22-year-old winger was acquired from St. Louis on July 1 in a swap of 2021 first-round picks that sent defenceman Logan Mailloux the other way. Bolduc scored 19 goals with the Blues last year in his first full NHL season.

Flames: Calgary’s anemic offence continued to be front and centre with its NHL-worst 13 goals also a franchise worst mark through eight games. In the Flames’ 1972-73 expansion season, when the team was in Atlanta, they had 13 goals through their first eight games.

Possession was all Montreal in overtime and the Canadiens were able to make a line change while Calgary’s skaters tired. The winning goal came when Ivan Demidov spotted Matheson speeding in on the far side and wired a pass through the slot for Matheson to one-time in the open side.

Since the NHL started tracking shots on goal in 1959-60, the record for the worst team shooting percentage in a season is 6.9 per cent by the 2014-15 Arizona Coyotes. Through eight games, the Flames were at 5.5 per cent. The next-worst team was the New York Rangers (7.0).

Canadiens: Visit the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

Flames: Travel to Winnipeg to take on the Jets on Friday.

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CALGARY — Called out on national TV and all but counted out as playoff contenders just six games in, the Calgary Flames and their fans needed something to cheer about.

They got it shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday when the Blue Jays†win prompted the best Game 7 Saddledome celebration since Johnny Gaudreauâ€s overtime magic against Dallas.

However, an hour after fans returned their gaze to the floundering Flames, the reality of their sordid start hit home once again.

“When you get a wounded dog, you get one of two things — itâ€s either going to bite you, or they are going to put their tail between their legs,†said Jets coach Scott Arniel, setting up their matchup with the 1-5 Flames.

“And I donâ€t think theyâ€ll do the tail part.â€

But despite mustering plenty of the fight and fortitude that prolonged their unlikely playoff hopes to 81 games last season, they fell short in heartbreaking fashion, allowing a late third-period goal to fall 2-1.Â

For those keeping track at home, that’s six straight losses for the Flames.

After spending the morning defending the culture and work ethic that came under attack by Kevin Bieksa after Saturdayâ€s shellacking in Vegas, the Flames made good on their pledge to step up their compete.

But as has been the case in the last six outings, their will was beaten by skill.

Despite putting forth their best and most complete effort of the season, it still wasnâ€t good enough.

“It hurts,†said Dustin Wolf of a loss that came despite his heroics and his teamâ€s tenacity.

“We have to play a gritty game each and every night. We don’t have all the skill that a lot of these teams do. We have the grit, we have the grind, and that’s the character and identity we have to play to. We can’t try to stray from it.â€

On Tuesday, they stayed true to their brand, mucking their way to a 1-0 lead midway through the second period of a low-event game that saw Rasmus Andersson cap off fourth-line frothiness with a point blast that ended with a trademark Death Stare he aimed at a rinkside Jets fan.

That swagger was muted by a Jonathan Toews power-play goal early in the third, and obliterated with a Mark Scheifele two-on-one conversion just past Wolfâ€s outstretched pad with five minutes left.

It spoiled a 26-save effort by Wolf that sure felt like it would have been enough last year.

“I thought we looked really good tonight, besides, obviously, the result,†said Kadri, whose team did indeed play up to its capabilities, despite having to try killing five power plays.

“We’re not huge fans of moral victories, or anything like that, but I mean, they go post-in, we go post-out. It’s the difference in the game.â€

One shift after Scheifeleâ€s dagger, Sam Honzek beat Connor Hellebuyck with a shot off the iron.

Seven games in, the Flames have just ten goals, prompting plenty of heartbreak for lads like Joel Farabee, Matt Coronato, Jonathan Huberdeau and others who are struggling to convert.

At 1-6, the last place Flames sit dead last in offence and goal differential, prompting early hope from Team Tank that the Flames will finally beef up for a draft lottery that happens to include Gavin McKenna.

Rasmus Andersson seemed particularly irked by Bieksaâ€s criticism of Yegor Sharangovich and the team culture, saying after the game, “I guess he knows best when he sits on a panel.â€

He was then asked how to walk the line between urgency and panic.

“It’s a fine line, if I’m honest with you,†said Andersson, the only Flames defenceman to score this year.

“Obviously, panic is never good, but you know, the desperation is pretty high right now.â€

Sharangovich was a healthy scratch Monday, with Ryan Huska explaining that he was part of the 50 per cent of his players whose effort was subpar Saturday — a rarity on a roster known for its pugnacity.

“He needs to be competitive, he needs to shoot the puck a lot and he needs to make sure heâ€s working on his game a lot in practice because thatâ€s typically where a player builds his confidence and where he allows himself to feel good going into games,†said Huska of Sharangovich, whose compete level has long been challenged even though he scored 31 and 17 goals his last two seasons.

“Play the guys that care,†said Bieksa of the Belarusian, who is in the first year of a five-year deal paying him $5.75 million annually.

“If youâ€re going to get an effort like that from a guy, get rid of him, you know what I mean? Youâ€re disgracing the NHL with an effort like that.â€

The problem is, his innate ability to finish is exactly what the Flames need most right now.

Well, that, and a bunch of wins.

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CALGARY — Jonathan Toews’ first NHL goal in more than 2 1/2 years was a pivotal one on Monday night.

Toews’ power play marker at 2:41 of the third period came off a deflection of a Neal Pionk point shot to tie the game 1-1. Mark Scheifele notched the game-winner at 15:06 as the Jets rallied for a 2-1 decision over the struggling Calgary Flames.

“The No. 1 thing was the chemistry and the energy in the locker-room that this team has, that was a big selling point, and playing for a team like this that can contend and have a chance to win a Stanley Cup,†said Toews, playing his 16th season in the NHL.

After missing the past two seasons due to health issues, the longtime Chicago Blackhawks star signed a one-year deal in the summer.

“On top of all that, to do it in my hometown in Winnipeg, that’s a big part of it too,†said Toews. “So when I really came down to it, I couldn’t really see myself wearing any other sweater.â€

So far, so good with his new team. After Winnipeg dropped its season opener, 5-4 to the Dallas Stars, the Jets have reeled off five consecutive victories with Toews looking more and more comfortable every night.

“These last few games, I feel like I’m really starting to settle in, and just think less,†said Toews. “Now that some of the systems, and the play calling, and the draws, and what we do off faceoffs, all those little details of our team game have finally become second nature, I can go out there and maybe not overthink but start to relax with the puck and feel a little bit more comfortable and not as afraid to make mistakes.

“And then from there, the offence comes.â€

Toews’ last goal was on April 13, 2023.

“His game has been getting better every game,†said Jets’ coach Scott Arniel. “It’s probably a big weight off his shoulders, but at the end of the day, we’re not looking at these early games, we’re just trying to get him up and running and playing and being comfortable with how we play, and him feeling good about himself.â€

In addition to logging more than 18 minutes in ice time, the 37-year-old was a deadly 15-6 at the faceoff circle against the Flames, bumping his season win percentage to a stellar 63.5 per cent.

“That’s a huge asset for us. We weren’t the best faceoff team over the years and he’s helped us in that area, and it’s helped everybody pick up their game,†said Arniel.

But the intangibles the three-time Stanley Cup champion brings extend far beyond that.

“That leadership, the hockey sense that he has. He’s got a great mind for the game. You can hear him when he talks to his linemates, talks to his teammates. He has drive,†said Arniel. “All that stuff we’ve seen in the past, but now he’s real good for our group in the sense that he passes on that knowledge.â€

At this stage in his career, slotted in as the club’s No. 2 centre, Toews is no longer relied upon to lead the offence. The team has Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor to lead the way on that front, both of whom are off to a superb start.

Scheifele (7-3-10) and Connor (3-6-9) have both opened the season with six-game point streaks. Scheifele has goals in five straight games to pace the club with seven.

“The game nowadays, there’s no space, it’s so fast, but they just have that connection. And a guy like Gabe (Vilardi) goes out there too and just finds that empty space. He’s such a good catalyst for those two. So it’s fun to watch that line,†said Toews.

Scheifele welcomes Toews’ veteran presence.

“He’s a guy that wants to get back in the rhythm of things. He wants to excel each and every game and I think that’s the coolest thing,†said Scheifele. “A guy with as much experience as he has is still wanting to grow his game each and every night. He fits right into this group and we’re lucky to have him.â€

Toews sees great things ahead for his new club.

“Everything I had heard was that they’ve got an experienced group, and you saw what they did in the playoffs last year, and experience like that only continues to build, and especially their success in the regular season,†said Toews.

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The Calgary Flames are making the forward a healthy scratch for Monday’s game (Sportsnet, 9:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. MT) against the Winnipeg Jets, coach Ryan Huska told reporters.

The move comes after the Flames lost 6-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, dropping them to 1-5 to start the season.

“Last game, we were like a 50-50 team, is the best way I can put it. There was 50 per cent of our guys that I thought really worked really hard and were committed and then I don’t think we had enough from the other 50. And he would fall into that category,” Huska said about the decision to scratch Sharangovich, per Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia. “You can’t make a 50 per cent change, but certain areas that weren’t acceptable, we can change a few. So it happened to be him.”

Sharangovich, 27, has just an assist through the first six games of the season and is a minus-3. Last season he had 17 goals and 32 points in 73 games, a noticeable dip from the 31 goals and 59 points he had in 82 games in the 2023-24 season.

His performance during the 2024-25 season earned him a five-year, $28.75-million deal ($5.75 million AAV) back in July 2024.

Sportsnet analyst Kevin Bieksa criticized Sharangovich for failing to finish a check on William Karlsson late in the game during an intermission report on Hockey Night in Canada.

“I would absolutely lose my mind if I saw that on the bench,†said Bieksa.

“Thatâ€s a culture thing for me. I would show that clip in practice and say, ‘where are my guys that care?†Play the guys that care. If youâ€re going to get an effort like that, get rid of him. Youâ€re disgracing the NHL with an effort like that. Be a little mad. Hate to lose. That guy doesnâ€t hate to lose.

“You have so many good young players … you have a young nucleus and you canâ€t have them poisoned by that type of behaviour.”

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Bottom of the league in goals scored and goal differential, the Calgary Flames are now the NHLâ€s last-place team.

They canâ€t score, they canâ€t defend.

Thereâ€s no sugar-coating where this beleaguered bunch sits a mere half-dozen games into the season, losing five in a row to sit 1-5.

And the road ahead doesnâ€t get any easier, facing Winnipeg in two of their next three games.

A 6-1 beating in Vegas on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday added to the frustration of an already-challenging start, especially since the effort of several players was called into question.

Coach Ryan Huska, whose players rarely shortchange him on heart, said half his forwards didnâ€t give the sort of effort expected.

Captain Mikael Backlund agreed the group didnâ€t show near enough fight after an evenly played first period saw the Flames down 3-1.

“The battle has pretty much been there from the boys, but tonight I donâ€t think it was up to our standards,†said Backlund.

The harshest criticism came from HNICâ€s Kevin Bieksa, who blasted Yegor Sharangovich for failing to finish a check on William Karlsson late in the game.

“I would absolutely lose my mind if I saw that on the bench,†said Bieksa.

“Thatâ€s a culture thing for me. I would show that clip in practice and say, ‘where are my guys that care?†Play the guys that care. If youâ€re going to get an effort like that, get rid of him. Youâ€re disgracing the NHL with an effort like that. Be a little mad. Hate to lose. That guy doesnâ€t hate to lose.

“You have so many good young players … you have a young nucleus and you canâ€t have them poisoned by that type of behaviour.â€

More takeaways from (another) nightmare in Vegas:

After missing the first five games of the season due to a pre-season injury, Jonathan Huberdeau returned to the lineup and made an immediate impact with a power-play goal three minutes in. Banging in a rebound on the power-play to tie the game 1-1, it kickstarted an evening in which the teamâ€s best playmaker did well to inject some energy into the top line with Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee. Â

“You need your best players to be your best players every night and I thought the Kadri, Huberdeau, Farabee line was excellent for us tonight, consistently,†said Huska.

“They had the puck a lot and were dangerous. The challenge becomes, itâ€s everybody. You canâ€t rely on the one group of guys. I donâ€t think we had enough other players that were as engaged as that line.â€

Huberdeau said his club isnâ€t playing as a unit, trying too hard to do things individually.

“Right now itâ€s just too easy against us,†said Huberdeau, whose club allowed Mark Stone and Jack Eichel to pile up four points apiece.

“Weâ€re leaving the best player on the other team wide open. Weâ€ve got to be harder on these guys.â€

Go ahead and try to blame Dustin Wolf on any of the five goals he was beaten on, but youâ€d be wrong to do so.

Still, after being beaten five times on 19 shots, Wolf gave way to Devin Cooley for the third period.

It was a salient move given the rigorous schedule ahead this week, with Winnipeg in town Monday, Montreal visiting Wednesday and a return trip to Winnipeg on Friday.

Cooley was spectacular in his season debut Wednesday in Utah, and was solid again Saturday, victimized only once by a Vegas power play that finished three-for-three on the night. He stopped eight of nine shots.

Having taken note of a high hit Colton Sissons made on Zayne Parekh when these two teams met four nights earlier, Ryan Lomberg took the opportunity to let the Vegas forward know it didnâ€t sit well with the Flames.

Two minutes in, to the surprise of no one, the two decided to settle the score.

Six minutes later, the Golden Knights took exception to a heavy Adam Klapka hit on Zach Whitecloud when Jeremy Lauzon dropped the gloves with the big Flames winger.

“The (Connor) Zary line, with Lomberg and Klapka, I thought gave us a great effort tonight – two good fights from the two guys on that line but we didnâ€t have much from the other two lines tonight,†said Huska.

“Weâ€re in a stretch right now where weâ€re not playing poorly – I thought tonightâ€s game got away from us for sure – but itâ€s the consistency our team has to play with for a full 60 minutes. We need to be more committed and more detailed for a full 60 minutes for more than weâ€ve shown this year.â€

There was good news on the farm, where rookie Matvei Gridin scored his first AHL goal in his first AHL game just 37 seconds into the contest Saturday in Tucson, Ariz. Hunter Brzustewicz also scored his first of the season, although the Wranglers fell 5-4 in OT.

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The Vegas Golden Knights absolutely demolished the Calgary Flames 6-1 in Sin City on Saturday night NHL action.

The Flames have now lost five in a row and are dead last in the overall NHL rankings for the season.

Here are the takeaways:

What’s Going on with Dustin Wolf

As of the end of this game, Wolf has given up 15 goals in five games in even-strength hockey and has an Expected Goals Against (xGA) value of 8.33. That is below expected by 6.67, the BIGGEST in the league.

Safe to say he is in a sophomore slump, but it’s still early in the season to pick it up.

Second Period Slump

You could make the argument the Flames just got unlucky in the first period. The first shot of the game ended up being a Mitch Marner goal. After that shot, until the 11:25 mark of the first period, the Flames and Knights were even at 5-5 in shots on goal, including trading PP goals, that put the Knights up 2-1.

Calgary then outshot Vegas 8-1 until the second-last minute. Unfortunately, that lone Knights shot found the back of the Flames net, putting them up 3-1 at the first intermission.

That’s pretty unlucky.

But there was no excuse for the nightmare that was the second period.

Forget about the shot count: The Golden Knights had 15 scoring opportunities while the Flames had two. In terms of high-danger scoring opportunities, Vegas had five, including a shorthanded attempt. Two of those ended up being goals.

Calgary had zero high-danger scoring opportunities. They were no threat for Vegas goalie Adin Hill. The second period was basically a walk in the park for him.

The Flames would stage a comeback in the third period, but could not produce any goals.

Poor Penalty-Kill

The Flames went 0-for-3 on the penalty-kill. You cannot expect to put on a respectable season record if the penalty-kill is zero on the dot.

Bottom Line

As for as what I liked with the Flames, Nazem Kadri was 11-of-15 (73.3%) on the face-off.

That’s about it.

The Flames will now come back home to take on the Winnipeg Jets on Monday.

To know how bad the Calgary offense was going into this game, check out this to see who had the most individual total shots for the team all season.

HINT: It’s a defenceman…

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CALGARY — Dusty Nickel was midway through his bag of press-box popcorn when his phone delivered the news.

As the Calgary Flames†resident EBUG (emergency backup goalie), the 34-year-old construction company owner had been summoned downstairs after Vegas netminder Adin Hill left Tuesdayâ€s game with an injury.

While rushing outside to grab his gear from his truck, Flames forward Sam Honzek smashed into Golden Knights backup Akira Schmid, opening up the very real possibility Nickel could be pressed into action.

However, Nickel was oblivious to the anxious moments being felt on the visiting bench.

“I got stuck with a new security guy on the elevator that wasnâ€t letting me down,†chuckled Nickel.

“He needed to see my credentials. Iâ€ve got a suit jacket with eight or nine game passes and I didnâ€t know which one it was, and while I showed him them all I said, ‘I donâ€t have time for this, youâ€ve gotta call this in because Iâ€ve got to go.’â€

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Shortly after Schmid was cleared to resume, Nickel arrived in the Saddledomeâ€s alumni dressing room, where he went through a fruitless procedure with which he’s all too familiar.

He put on half his equipment, stretched, signed some paperwork, watched the intermission panel discuss him and the possibilities, and longed to finish that bag of popcorn.

Flames assistant equipment manager, Ben Duhaime, double-checked the spelling of Nickelâ€s last name for a Vegas jersey they were preparing.

As EBUGs are instructed to remain neutral, and out of sight unless summoned into action, Nickel never wound up seeing the jersey, the bench, or any action.

Just another night for the backupâ€s backup.

Nickel is a bit of a legend around these parts, and not just because of that fantastic handle of his.

Heâ€s been the Flames’ EBUG the last handful of years, striding into the Domeâ€s media lounge buffet area just before puck drop every night wearing a suit, a toque and a massive grin on his face.

“Itâ€s $100 a game, and to be honest, I put most of it on 50-50 tickets,†he laughed.

“I havenâ€t won yet. Iâ€m 0-for-82 the last two years. I havenâ€t even won a secondary prize. Actually, Iâ€m not even sure if Iâ€m allowed to claim it if I win.â€

He won second prize, of sorts, two years ago when the former Calgary Canuck was whisked into the Flames dressing room prior to puck drop to spell Jacob Markstrom, who got sick just before puck drop.

That night he was paid $500, and got to keep the jersey.

Just two minutes in, all eyes turned to Nickel after Dan Vladar was run by Vegas forward William Carrier and needed medical attention on the ice.

“I knew that was coming,†he smiled, recalling his brush with the then-defending Cup champs.

“I remember in warmies I was stretching out and LT (Logan Thompson) and Stoney (Mark Stone) and (Jack) Eichel were all at centre ice and they were looking at me and kind giving me the nod, and I was like, ‘You guys are going to do something arenâ€t you?†I knew something was coming.

“They probably figured, ‘Hey, weâ€ll throw the EBUG in and have an easy point night.’Â

“Everyone thought I was nervous that whole time, but the adrenaline had worn off — I just didnâ€t know where my gloves were after I gave them to Benny, and I thought my skates were kind of dull.â€

The Flames have kept Nickel busy in other ways, using him 100 times last year as a practice fill-in for the Flames and Wranglers.

He doesnâ€t do it for the money, as it amounts to little more than free gear and a couple grand at the end of the year he calls “beer and gas money.â€Â

Given this seasonâ€s compacted schedule, theyâ€ll likely use him even more.

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However, the real carrot comes next year when the new CBA calls for every team in the league to employ a full-time EBUG who travels and practices with the team.

“The Never Hungry League — itâ€s a pretty exciting thing,†said Nickel, who also runs a goalie school.

“Youâ€d have a lot of people lining up for that job. Per diem and food. What an experience to see a bit of the world that way. What a cool experience to be able to do that, to kind of be a bullpen catcher and be able to go on road trips and hang out with the guys. I think it would be an absolute blast.â€

While Nickel has been told the EBUG will be paid roughly $75,000 US, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Sportsnet each team will decide what compensation will be involved.

“These positions likely wonâ€t be exclusively dedicated to EBUG status,†said Daly.

“The individual would likely have other full-time responsibilities with the club.â€

Thatâ€s just fine with Nickel, who has the flexibility to continue dropping everything to help the Flames.

“Every year I keep saying, ‘One more year, one more year,†but then maybe next year I could get to travel, and then the new rink… maybe two more years,†said the affable Calgarian, who has become part of the team in many ways.

“I love skating with the guys, and itâ€s a great culture. As long as you can keep playing, play as long as you can.â€

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Turns out backup goaltending is the least of the Calgary Flames’ concerns right now.

In the most important start of his career, Devin Cooley made an overwhelmingly positive first impression with a 29-save performance that made him the gameâ€s first star Wednesday in Utah.

However, his heroics werenâ€t enough as the offensively-challenged Flames lost their fourth in a row, this time by a 3-1 score to the Mammoth.

And while the effort was solid, the reality is becoming daunting, warned coach Ryan Huska afterwards.

“You need to find your game in a hurry because you canâ€t make the playoffs the first month of the year, but you surely can miss them,†said Huska, whose club played in Calgary the night before and arrived at their Salt Lake City hotel after 3 a.m.

“It is important for guys to recognize the work is there, but itâ€s some of the execution thatâ€s not, or the mistake at an inopportune time that is costing us some of these games.â€

“That stuff has to be cleaned up. I do feel weâ€ve beaten ourselves in this stretch weâ€re in right now. Those are all things I think are correctable for sure.â€

Given the nightmarish second half he had in the AHL last season, followed by a subpar pre-season, plenty was riding on Cooleyâ€s opening performance.

With rumours abounding the Flames are already looking to bolster their backup position, the 28-year-old responded to the pressure by being the gameâ€s first star, keeping Calgary in a game that could easily have gotten out of hand without him.

“I thought for his first game of the year I thought he was excellent,†said Huska, who will need Dustion Wolfâ€s backup to win at least half his starts for the team to make the playoffs.

“He made the saves he had to, and he sprinkled in some that were competitive saves, and thatâ€s what you want to see from him.â€
Making just his seventh NHL start, Cooleyâ€s first NHL action in 18 months saw him make a trio of great saves in the first period that gave plenty of early hope he was up to the task.

“I felt pretty good, maybe a little jumpy, a little scrambly, but maybe that comes with not playing in a while and having a lot of energy and feeling excited to have an opportunity,†said the California native, who was an AHL all-star last season.

“Especially in a backup role, my job is to give the team a chance every single night Iâ€m in, whether itâ€s a tough travel day or whatever, Iâ€ve got to find a way to dig in.â€

He did. And his teammates did well to scrap their way through a tight game, despite the obvious fatigue that comes from playing their second back-to-back in eight days.

“I thought our guys battled really hard,†said Cooley.

“I think we got in at 3:30 or 4 in the morning on a back-to-back, so it wasnâ€t easy, but our guys battled to the end.â€

With just six goals in their last four games, the Flames†inability to finish continues to plague a franchise that missed the playoffs last season because of it.

Joel Farabee and Matt Coronato were the most dangerous of all Flames Wednesday, as they pushed hard in the third period to erase a one-goal deficit, outshooting the hosts 12-4.

But shortly after Karel Vejmelka made a crucial shoulder save on Nazem Kadri in the final minute, the door opened for Kevin Stenlund to bank a lucky clearing attempt into an empty net after banked it in off the side boards.

Fact is, scoring is hard enough for the Flames without having to kill six Utah power plays.

Full marks to the revamped penalty kill approach and personnel the Flames employ for being perfect on the night, but it makes it awfully tough to come back in a game when youâ€re constantly down a man.

“Itâ€s going to be a hard game to win when you take six minors,†said Rasmus Andersson, whose power-play goal in the first period came courtesy of a fortuitous rebound off a defender.

“The penalties cost us tonight, I thought.â€

Huska didnâ€t disagree, pointing to a second-period lapse in which the Flames were outshot 18-3 and outscored 2-0 while having to kill off three penalties.

“Once we were killing that many penalties, I donâ€t think we got out of our zone the whole period,†he said.

“Then youâ€re making fatigue mistakes more than anything.â€

One of those mistakes saw Zayne Parekh fail to close a gap at mid ice and lose a footrace to JJ Peterka, whose breakaway conversion stood as the winner.

The Flames visit Vegas on Saturday.

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