Flames Earn Point In Shootout Setback

Calgary overcomes two-goal deficit in Buffalo

BUFFALO — Determination.

It’s the name of the game.

And it’s becoming the identity of the Flames, who battled back from a two-goal deficit – again – to salvage a point in a 3-2 shootout setback to the Sabres.

Matt Coronato and Mikael Backlund scored for Calgary, who finished their three-game Eastern road trip with four of a possible six points.

The Sabres opened the scoring 1:11 into the contest. A point shot from Jacob Bryson was blocked in front of the Flames net, but the rebound fell to Zach Benson, who backhanded home his second goal of the season.

Tage Thompson extended the lead on a powerplay at 13:37; the puck went around the horn from right to the left circle, where he accepted a one-timer feed from Rasmus Dahlin, banging the puck off a body and into the net.

At the other end, Sabres netminder Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made his best save of the frame off a point shot from Kevin Bahl that zipped its way goalward through traffic.

Shots were 7-6 in Buffalo’s favour after 20 minutes.

Calgary started the second on the front foot, Connor Zary forcing Luukkonen into a pad save after he sent the puck goalward from the right wing on an odd-man rush.

Coronato clanked one off the left post 10 minutes later on another 2-on-1 break, beating Luukkonen but not the iron.

But he’d find the scoresheet before the period was through.

As chaos erupted in the neutral zone between Justin Kirkland and former Flame Dennis Gilbert, Calgary took advantage of some extra space in the offensive zone. MacKenzie Weegar feathered a pass through to Coronato at the right post for a back-door tap-in.

Coronato scores a lovely backdoor tip-in to make it a 2-1 game for Buffalo

With the goal, Coronato earned his fourth point of the road trip, and moved into a share of the team lead with five goals on the season.

Vladar stopped all six shots sent his way in period two, his best coming just before the midway mark when he thrust out his right arm to deny Dahlin from a high-danger area.

That late second-period goal provided the Flames with some real jump.

Kadri was denied on a rebound attempt 1:20 in after Yegor Sharangovich drove the net wide down the right wing.

Jonathan Huberdeau redirected a puck just wide of the right post a few minutes later, as Calgary continued to press.

Luukkonen robbed Blake Coleman off a high-danger chance with just under seven minutes left, as the Flames forward – fresh after depositing former Calgary Hitmen star Beck Malenstyn to the ice at the other end – fired a low shot from the high slot.

All that hard work paid off with 4:18 left in regulation time.

Weegar sent the disc goalward into a sea of bodies in front of the Buffalo net. From there, Huberdeau extracted the rebound, dishing to Backlund in the left circle, and the captain made no mistake, wiring a shot to the top corner past a prone Luukkonen.

Backlund scores late in third period to tie it up

That goal forced overtime; the Flames outshot the Sabres 12-5 in period three.

In the extra frame, Calgary earned a powerplay, after Buffalo was caught with too many men on the ice. But that opportunity went begging, as Luukkonen denied Sharangovich on a good look from the top of the left circle.

Vladar did his part in overtime, too, denying Sabres forward Dylan Cozens with a right shoulder save after the home side found space on an odd-man rush.

J.J. Peterka scored the lone goal of the shootout, resigning the Flames to a single point.

Weegar finished the game with two assists, while Justin Kirkland led all skaters with five hits.

Rasmus Andersson led Calgary in ice-time, playing a total of 26:25.

Highs, lows and Backlund’s 1,000th game – this episode has it all!

The Lineup:

Forwards

Connor Zary – Nazem Kadri – Yegor Sharangovich
Jonathan Huberdeau – Martin Pospisil – Andrei Kuzmneko
Blake Coleman – Mikael Backlund – Matt Coronato
Ryan Lomberg – Kevin Rooney – Justin Kirkland

Defence

Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
MacKenzie Weegar – Daniil Miromanov
Jake Bean – Brayden Pachal

Goaltenders

Dan Vladar (starter)
Dustin Wolf