CALGARY, Alberta — In a thrilling matchup, Rasmus Andersson netted the decisive shootout goal as the Calgary Flames narrowly defeated the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, after relinquishing a two-goal advantage late in the third period on Saturday night.
Calgary saw goals from Kevin Rooney, Martin Pospisil, and Yegor Sharangovich during regulation, marking their fourth consecutive victory. As the NHL’s leading road team, the Wild put pressure on the Flames with goals from Marcus Johansson, Brock Faber, and Marco Rossi. Remarkably, the Wild have only experienced one regulation loss in their past 13 away games.
In the shootout, Frederick Gaudreau scored for Minnesota, but Justin Kirkland quickly equalized for Calgary. The contest remained tied after the initial shootout rounds until Andersson’s fifth-round shot found the net past Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson. Calgary netminder Dan Vladar sealed the win with a crucial save against Ryan Hartman.
Vladar, who made 20 saves in his first game in 11 days following rookie goalie Dustin Wolf’s three-game stint, contributed significantly to the Flames’ success. Meanwhile, Gustavsson faced 28 shots from Calgary.
Takeaways from the game reveal that Kirill Kaprizov, a key player for Minnesota, was sidelined due to a lower body injury sustained in a previous game against Edmonton. Kaprizov is currently tied for the NHL scoring lead with 34 points (13 goals and 21 assists) and was on a seven-game point streak prior to his absence.
On Calgary’s side, the team’s power play has seen a revival after a tumultuous stretch where they were 2-for-37. Recently, the Flames have capitalized on this aspect, scoring four goals in their last eight attempts, including a perfect performance of 2-for-2 against the Wild.
A pivotal moment in the game occurred late in the third period when Faber’s power-play goal reduced Calgary’s lead to 3-2, with only four minutes remaining. Rossi managed to tie the game with just 34 seconds left as the Wild pulled their goalie to boost their offense, ultimately forcing the game to the shootout.
Statistically, Calgary completed a clean sweep of a four-game homestand, previously securing victories over the Predators, Islanders, and Rangers. The Flames are riding high with five straight wins at the Scotiabank Saddledome, boasting a home record of 9-3-0 this season.
Looking ahead, the Minnesota Wild will face the Winnipeg Jets in their next game on Monday, while the Calgary Flames are set to embark on a four-game road trip, starting with a matchup against the Ottawa Senators on the same night.