DENVER — Tyson Gross gave Calgary a moment to hold onto late Thursday night in Denver—even if the scoreboard didn’t fully reward it.
The hometown product broke through with his first NHL goal in the final minutes against the Colorado Avalanche, battling at the top of the crease and jamming home a loose puck after a point shot from Matvei Gridin. It was the kind of gritty, hard-earned tally young players dream about—scored not with flash, but with determination in the blue paint.
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For Gross, the breakthrough was only part of the story.
Just a few shifts after his first career marker, he appeared to strike again. Stationed near the side of the net, Gross angled his stick perfectly and banked another puck across the goal line, momentarily sending the Flames bench into celebration. For a brief moment, it looked like a storybook night—two goals in quick succession in just his early NHL action.
But the jubilation didn’t last.
Following a coach’s challenge from Colorado, the play was ruled offside at the blue line, wiping away what would have been Gross’ second goal of the night. Instead of a multi-goal performance, he was left with a single tally—though one that still carried immense personal significance.
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Despite the overturned goal, Gross’ impact was undeniable. In a game where Calgary struggled to generate sustained offense, his net-front presence and willingness to battle stood out.
“I thought he did a great job on his faceoffs,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska stated. “He did a really good job, especially in the third period, winning draws and then going right to the net. He has a presence in front, and he did a good job of banging—or whacking—a rebound in. We’re excited for him to score his first goal in the NHL.”
Even in a 3-1 loss—sealed late by an empty-net goal from Nathan MacKinnon—Gross delivered a glimpse of what could be more to come.
Speaking with several Flames players prior to the game—including Zach Whitecloud and Morgan Frost—the message was clear: they wanted a far better showing than their March 30 loss, when they were routed 9-2 by this same Avalanche team.
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While the lineup wasn’t identical—Nazem Kadri, who had been dealt back to Colorado at the deadline, was unavailable due to a broken finger—the response from Calgary was noticeably different.
Despite another loss, the Flames didn’t go quietly. They competed for every inch of the ice from the opening puck drop. Dustin Wolf, who was pulled in that previous meeting after allowing four goals on 16 shots in less than half a period, bounced back in a big way—stopping 38 of 40 shots and giving Calgary a chance throughout the night.
If the Flames can continue to bring this level of effort, while retooling, drafting well, and steadily improving their roster, this is a team that could become one to watch in the near future. There’s no shame in this performance—only signs of progress.
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