As we approach the holidays, the saying “Christmas came early” will be one of the most overused terms we hear in the next two weeks.
Yet, that’s what people could say about the Calgary Flames’ 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena.
Thanks to timely goals from Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau, plus Dan Vladar’s solid performance, the Flames were able to slay some road trip demons that had almost derailed their season.
Here’s a breakdown of Calgary’s latest triumph, a bounce-back performance after Monday’s blowout loss in Dallas.
Flames Snap Dreaded Road Streak
The last time the Flames won a road game, there were still Halloween decorations at your local Wal-Mart, and no one in America had even thought about their Thanksgiving dinner, which was still more than a month away.
After defeating the Vancouver Canucks on opening night (Oct. 9), the Flames then beat their provincial rival Edmonton Oilers (Oct. 13) before losing their next 12 road games.
That streak stopped at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday as Calgary battled back on three separate occasions to tie the game after blown defensive coverages put them in a hole.
Considering the Flames only have two more road games in the calendar year, Tuesday’s victory was a great confidence booster as they head home for five games, with some Stanley Cup contenders visiting the Saddledome.
Unlikely Heros Step Up
The expectation heading into most Flames games is that Kadri and Huberdeau will find a way to get onto the scoresheet.
Of course, the duo combined for three points against the Predators, but the team won thanks to some unlikely goal-scorers.
First, Kevin Rooney tallied his third goal of the season early in the second period to tie the contest at 2-2. He buried home a nice feed from Walker Duehr, who picked up his first point of the season.
Then, down 3-2 after the midway point of the second, Brayden Pachal scored his first NHL goal when he displayed a high level of patience to rip one top shelf over a Vezina Trophy finalist, Juuse Saros.
The night was bookended with goals from Kadri and Huberdeau, but the Flames left the Music City with a win because some unlikely heroes found the back of the net.
Their abilities to contribute on the scoreboard helped Calgary end a franchise-record 24-game streak of three goals or less.
Vladar Held Down the Fort Despite Defensive Lapses
Hockey fans are well aware of the Predators’ dreadful start despite some Hall of Fame-level talent in the lineup.
If anyone missed the game, they would look at the box score and see that Vladar surrendered three goals and think the Flames battled all night to keep up with a team desperate for a win.
However, that was not the case, as it could be argued that Vladar stood on his head to preserve Calgary’s latest win despite being left alone to fend for himself on all three of Nashville’s goals.
As the last line of defense, it’s his job to make saves. But on Tuesday, blown coverages led to cross-ice passes and snapshots that could have been prevented if sticks and bodies were in the lanes or players stuck to their assignments.
Realistically, the Flames could have easily let this one slip away. Still, Vladar was solid between the pipes, allowing his teammates to secure the much-needed win thanks to his 17 saves.
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