Ring-A-Ding-Dong Dandy!

The C of Red was preparing to welcome in 2025 Tuesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, but on the ice it looked a lot like 1985.

There were three fights in the second period during a feisty and spirited affair between division rivals and Canadian cousins, as the Flames prevailed 3-1 to beat the visiting Canucks. At one point there was eight players in the penalty box - three Flames and five Canucks.

The victory moved Calgary ahead of Vancouver in the quest for a playoff berth.

Connor Zary – playing in his 100th game – had the first goal for Calgary, while Nazem Kadri continued his penchant for third-period heroics as he tallied the game-winner.

Martin Pospisil – also playing in his 100^th game - had a helper on the game-winner.

The red-hot Jonathan Huberdeau added an empty-netter to ice the affair, to go along the primary assist on Kadri’s goal.

Meanwhile, Dustin Wolf made 23 saves, becoming the fastest goalie in Calgary Flames history to record 10 home wins in a season. He also became the second-fastest to 20 career wins here (37 games), trailing only the legendary Miikka Kiprusoff (31).

MacKenzie Weegar had a massive night with a team-leading six hits but, most importantly, played a key role in starting the play that lead to Calgary’s first two markers.

It was a frenetic pace to start the game.

Yegor Sharangovich got a great look early in the slot but Kevin Lankinen made a big stop.

Wolf, not to be outdone, denied Brock Boeser’s backhand attempt after a turnover in the Calgary zone, then absolutely robbed J.T. Miller with an outstretched right pad as he tried to put it home from the side of the net.

Matt Coronato circled up high, took a pass and skated in and wired one that beat Lankinen but not the crossbar.

Then it was Wolf with another 10-beller, coming across to get his pad out to stop Teddy Blueger who took a feed from Kiefer Sherwood.

The Canucks had a 2-on-1 break after Rasmus Andersson blew a wheel in the Canucks zone but Coronato put his head down to race back and dove, sliding outstretched to get his stick on the biscuit and deflect a pass from Jake DeBrusk that was heading right to Miller for what would have been a golden chance.

Weegar made his first brilliant play to set up the Flames opening goal, circling in the Flames zone with the puck before sending a long pass up the middle to spring Jakob Pelletier on a breakaway, but Lankinen denied his backhand, five-hole attempt. A trailing Sharangovich tapped the puck to Zary who put it in the yawning cage with the Canucks goalie way out of position after the initial stop.

Then came the fisitcuffs in the middle stanza.

Erik Brannstrom was all over Ryan Lomberg in the Vancouver crease, pushing him down and then pinning him into the post.

The two stayed tangled up and eventually dropped the mitts for a quick fight that Lomberg won, sending both to the bin at 7:10. It was the first of two tilts on the night for Flames' fan favourite.

Off the ensuing faceoff, Miller and Kevin Bahl dropped the gloves for a quick tilt.

Not long after, Noah Juulsen made a knee-on-knee hit on Calgary captain Mikael Backlund, bringing Weegar in to toss the mitts as the two fell to the ice.

When the dust settled, Juulsen got two for tripping and two for roughing, while Weegar got two for roughing giving Calgary a powerplay.

Then with 1:18 left in the advantage, Tyler Myers was whistled for cross-checking Kadri to give the Flames a two-man advantage but they weren’t able to convert.

Lomberg and former Flames defenceman Derek Forbort fought not long after despite the Flames forward giving up six inches in height and 30 pounds. The pair threw a few punches before going down.

Brock Boeser would tie the game up at 6:15 of the third on a Canucks powerplay when he tipped a pass from Miller in the high slot that beat Wolf.

Kadri scored the game-winner at 9:18 after another fantastic play by Weegar.

The Flames defenceman circled again, showed his patience and eventually passed up to Pospisil who feed Huberdeau and he made a lovely feed to Kadri who snapped it high blocker-side.

Huberdeau would add the empty-netter at 18:57.

The Lineup:

FORWARDS

Jonathan Huberdeau - Nazem Kadri - Martin Pospisil

Blake Coleman - Mikael Backlund - Matt Coronato

Jakob Pelletier - Connor Zary - Yegor Sharangovich

Ryan Lomberg - Kevin Rooney - Walker Duehr

DEFENCE

Kevin Bahl - Rasmus Andersson

Joel Hanley - MacKenzie Weegar

Jake Bean - Brayden Pachal

GOALTENDER

Dustin Wolf - starter

Dan Vladar

They Said It:

The Numbers Game:

Shots: CGY 29, VAN 24

Powerplay: CGY 0-2, VAN 1-2

Faceoffs: CGY 47.7%, VAN 52.3%

Blocked Shots: CGY 11, VAN 16

Hits: CGY 28, VAN 29

*5-on-5 Scoring Chances: CGY 26, VAN 12

*5-on-5 High-Danger Scoring Chances: CGY 11, VAN 7

*Courtesy of NaturalStatTrick

Up Next:

The Flames host the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday at 7 p.m. Click for tickets