<p><em class="text-lg italic">Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!</em></p>
<p>Saturday&#8217;s game between the Calgary Flames and the Vegas Golden Knights was, in a lot of ways, a prototypical 2024-25 Flames contest. They didn&#8217;t play overly badly in the first part of the game, but they played just poorly enough to be down a couple. But a couple goals – one late in the second and another early in the third – tied things up, and gave the Flames a chance.</p>
<p>An unfortunate bounce in overtime gave the Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Flames, but Calgary earned a sorely-needed point as they attempt to chase down a playoff berth.</p>
<h1>The rundown</h1>
<p>It was a sluggish start for both teams, as each team seemed to try to figure each other out. The clubs exchanged power plays midway through the period, with the Flames generating zero shots and Vegas generating four on theirs.</p>
<p>The Flames started to build some momentum, but a bad read on an offensive zone sequence sent the puck up ice and left Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl to defend a three-on-two rush. Pavel Dorofeyev took advantage of the space and cut towards the Flames net, chipping a back-hand shot past Dustin Wolf to give Vegas a 1-0 lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pavel Dorofeyev scores his 33rd goal of the season. It&#39;s 1-0 Vegas. </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://t.co/GTyQgQVbfn">pic.twitter.com/GTyQgQVbfn</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908713905721139680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>First period shots were 12-6 Golden Knights. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 10-2 Golden Knights (high-danger chances were 5-0 Golden Knights).</p>
<p>The Flames started to get more looks in the second period, but again, Vegas managed to take advantage and score. This time, Wolf made a stop on an initial chance from Brayden McNabb, but the Flames couldn&#8217;t corral the puck and so Vegas cycled it back to the point. Shea Theodore&#8217;s point shot was redirected by Reilly Smith to give Vegas a 2-0 lead.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="no" dir="ltr">2-0 Vegas. </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://t.co/0yuJwZyomf">pic.twitter.com/0yuJwZyomf</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908724328407195706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>But the Flames kept battling. Joel Farabee sent Blake Coleman a nice pass that he redirected on Schmid – and then he tried not to completely crush the goalie with his momentum. The puck trickled through Schmid&#8217;s padding and landed behind him, but it was ruled after a review to have not fully crossed the goal line.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oh god not again&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/r8sNqCTY2r">pic.twitter.com/r8sNqCTY2r</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908727009255338270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Late in the second period, the Flames had a power play but couldn&#8217;t score. Tanner Pearson exited the penalty box, received a pass and went into the Flames zone&#8230; but MacKenzie Weegar hustled into the zone, stole the puck back, and sent things back up ice. After Nazem Kadri hit the post, the Flames kept the puck and kept cycling, ending with Kadri setting up Joel Hanley with a clean shot from the point that beat Schmid high glove. That cut Vegas&#8217; lead to 2-1.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥FLAMES GOAL🔥</p>
<p>Joel Hanley gets the Flames back in this game with a late 2nd period goal! </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://t.co/bxylLFT01S">pic.twitter.com/bxylLFT01S</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908730733549805640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Second period shots were 10-8 Golden Knights. Five-on-five scoring chances were 9-7 Flames (high-danger chances were 4-2 Golden Knights).</p>
<p>Early in the third period, the Flames tied things up. Mikael Backlund won an offensive zone draw, sent the puck to Matt Coronato and Coronato beat Schmid high blocker-side to tie the game at 2-2.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥FLAMES GOAL🔥</p>
<p>MATT CORONATO TIES THE GAME WITH A SNIPE 🎯</p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://t.co/vtTu0Glpru">pic.twitter.com/vtTu0Glpru</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908736118834815100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The Flames had a couple power plays with the game tied, but they couldn&#8217;t take advantage.</p>
<p>Vegas got a late power play with 1:29 remaining in regulation, but the Flames managed to get it to overtime. (Heck, Backlund had a shorthanded partial breakaway and nearly scored as the clock ran out.</p>
<p>Third period shots were 9-8 Golden Knights. Five-on-five scoring chances were 7-6 Golden Knights (high-danger chances were 3-2 Golden Knights).</p>
<p>Most of overtime was played at four-on-four after the carry-over of the Flames&#8217; penalty was killed off. The game-deciding goal was an odd, fluky one, as Smith attempted a pass out front that went off Weegar&#8217;s skate, off Wolf&#8217;s shoulder and into the net to give Vegas a 3-2 win.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Brutal luck for the Flames. The puck goes off MacKenzie Weegar, off Dustin Wolf and in. </p>
<p>Vegas wins in overtime 3-2</p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://t.co/HxoalmkEeL">pic.twitter.com/HxoalmkEeL</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908747501240541566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<h1>Why the Flames got a point</h1>
<p>Give the Flames credit: this game could have gotten away from them, but it didn&#8217;t. Dustin Wolf held them in for portions, but they did a great job playing a smart game in the second half and taking advantage of the opportunities they were provided. And their penalty kill came up huge at key times, particularly late in regulation.</p>
<p>Hockey&#8217;s a game of bounces and the game-deciding goal was a rough one. But the Flames definitely earned the point they got in this one.</p>
<h1>Red Warrior</h1>
<p>MacKenzie Weegar was all over this game and he was noticeable in all three zones.</p>
<p>Honourable mentions to Adam Klapka and Brayden Pachal, who both played their roles extremely well.</p>
<h1>Turning point</h1>
<p>The Flames could have headed into the room at the second intermission down 2-0. Instead, they got that late goal to bring it to within one, and then they won the third period. That late second period goal was pretty huge, all things considered.</p>
<h1>This and that</h1>
<p>Flames paid tribute to the great Hakan Loob during a second period TV timeout. Loob was in attendance, as he&#8217;s visiting from Sweden.</p>
<p>Ryan Huska mixed up his lines a bit in the second period to try to get things going. Among the trios we saw: Huberdeau-Kadri-Pospisil, Coleman-Backlund-Coronato, Klapka-Frost-Coronato, Lomberg-Rooney-Sharangovich</p>
<h1>Up next</h1>
<p>The Flames (36-27-13) are hitting the road. They&#8217;ll visit the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.</p>
<h1>This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi</h1>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-138031" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Platinum-Mitsubishi-NDS-Screen-Res-1.png" alt="" width="414" height="140" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Platinum-Mitsubishi-NDS-Screen-Res-1.png 414w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Platinum-Mitsubishi-NDS-Screen-Res-1-300x101.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px" /></p>
<p>This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at <a href="http://www.mitsu.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsu.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737766788077000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IDdhb5Us0lSTEz-MS7q_U">www.mitsu.ca</a></p>


<em class="text-lg italic">Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!</em>

Saturday's game between the Calgary Flames and the Vegas Golden Knights was, in a lot of ways, a prototypical 2024-25 Flames contest. They didn't play overly badly in the first part of the game, but they played just poorly enough to be down a couple. But a couple goals – one late in the second and another early in the third – tied things up, and gave the Flames a chance.

An unfortunate bounce in overtime gave the Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Flames, but Calgary earned a sorely-needed point as they attempt to chase down a playoff berth.
<h1>The rundown</h1>
It was a sluggish start for both teams, as each team seemed to try to figure each other out. The clubs exchanged power plays midway through the period, with the Flames generating zero shots and Vegas generating four on theirs.

The Flames started to build some momentum, but a bad read on an offensive zone sequence sent the puck up ice and left Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl to defend a three-on-two rush. Pavel Dorofeyev took advantage of the space and cut towards the Flames net, chipping a back-hand shot past Dustin Wolf to give Vegas a 1-0 lead.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908713905721139680

First period shots were 12-6 Golden Knights. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 10-2 Golden Knights (high-danger chances were 5-0 Golden Knights).

The Flames started to get more looks in the second period, but again, Vegas managed to take advantage and score. This time, Wolf made a stop on an initial chance from Brayden McNabb, but the Flames couldn't corral the puck and so Vegas cycled it back to the point. Shea Theodore's point shot was redirected by Reilly Smith to give Vegas a 2-0 lead.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908724328407195706

But the Flames kept battling. Joel Farabee sent Blake Coleman a nice pass that he redirected on Schmid – and then he tried not to completely crush the goalie with his momentum. The puck trickled through Schmid's padding and landed behind him, but it was ruled after a review to have not fully crossed the goal line.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908727009255338270

Late in the second period, the Flames had a power play but couldn't score. Tanner Pearson exited the penalty box, received a pass and went into the Flames zone... but MacKenzie Weegar hustled into the zone, stole the puck back, and sent things back up ice. After Nazem Kadri hit the post, the Flames kept the puck and kept cycling, ending with Kadri setting up Joel Hanley with a clean shot from the point that beat Schmid high glove. That cut Vegas' lead to 2-1.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908730733549805640

Second period shots were 10-8 Golden Knights. Five-on-five scoring chances were 9-7 Flames (high-danger chances were 4-2 Golden Knights).

Early in the third period, the Flames tied things up. Mikael Backlund won an offensive zone draw, sent the puck to Matt Coronato and Coronato beat Schmid high blocker-side to tie the game at 2-2.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908736118834815100

The Flames had a couple power plays with the game tied, but they couldn't take advantage.

Vegas got a late power play with 1:29 remaining in regulation, but the Flames managed to get it to overtime. (Heck, Backlund had a shorthanded partial breakaway and nearly scored as the clock ran out.

Third period shots were 9-8 Golden Knights. Five-on-five scoring chances were 7-6 Golden Knights (high-danger chances were 3-2 Golden Knights).

Most of overtime was played at four-on-four after the carry-over of the Flames' penalty was killed off. The game-deciding goal was an odd, fluky one, as Smith attempted a pass out front that went off Weegar's skate, off Wolf's shoulder and into the net to give Vegas a 3-2 win.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1908747501240541566
<h1>Why the Flames got a point</h1>
Give the Flames credit: this game could have gotten away from them, but it didn't. Dustin Wolf held them in for portions, but they did a great job playing a smart game in the second half and taking advantage of the opportunities they were provided. And their penalty kill came up huge at key times, particularly late in regulation.

Hockey's a game of bounces and the game-deciding goal was a rough one. But the Flames definitely earned the point they got in this one.
<h1>Red Warrior</h1>
MacKenzie Weegar was all over this game and he was noticeable in all three zones.

Honourable mentions to Adam Klapka and Brayden Pachal, who both played their roles extremely well.
<h1>Turning point</h1>
The Flames could have headed into the room at the second intermission down 2-0. Instead, they got that late goal to bring it to within one, and then they won the third period. That late second period goal was pretty huge, all things considered.
<h1>This and that</h1>
Flames paid tribute to the great Hakan Loob during a second period TV timeout. Loob was in attendance, as he's visiting from Sweden.

Ryan Huska mixed up his lines a bit in the second period to try to get things going. Among the trios we saw: Huberdeau-Kadri-Pospisil, Coleman-Backlund-Coronato, Klapka-Frost-Coronato, Lomberg-Rooney-Sharangovich
<h1>Up next</h1>
The Flames (36-27-13) are hitting the road. They'll visit the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.
<h1>This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi</h1>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-138031" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Platinum-Mitsubishi-NDS-Screen-Res-1.png" alt="" width="414" height="140" />

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at <a href="http://www.mitsu.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsu.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737766788077000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IDdhb5Us0lSTEz-MS7q_U">www.mitsu.ca</a>

Recent articles from Ryan Pike

Breaking News