Tough One

Flames fall 5-3 to visiting Utah Hockey Club

By Ty Pilson

@typilson CalgaryFlames.com

January 03, 2025

The third period proved the difference as the Flames fell 5-3 to the visiting Utah Hockey Club Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Calgary held a 3-2 lead heading into the final frame, but the visitors scored a pair of quick tallies before adding an empty-netter late in the victory.

Blake Coleman, Connor Zary and Brayden Pachal scored for the Flames, while Dan Vladar made 21 saves.

Pachal’s tally was his second of the season and came in his 100th NHL game.

See all the action from Thursday night's tilt

Matt Coronato was on a mission off the opening faceoff, getting a couple of steals and wiring one shot wide before forcing Karel Vejmelka to make a big early stop after.

Utah HC opened the scoring at 8:51 when Lawson Crouse managed to get a shot off with a bouncing puck that found twine shortside.

Vladar made a big stop on Nick Schmaltz to keep it a one-goal game when he flashed the leather on his attempt from the right slot after a turnover in the Flames zone.

Coronato had another great look with just over four minutes to go in the frame, spinning and firing one that Vejmelka denied.

Just 19 seconds after killing off a powerplay, the Flames went to the man advantage and evened things up at late at 19:51.

Rasmus Andersson fed Nazem Kadri for a one-timer in the right faceoff dot that Vejmelka stopped but Coleman was right there in the doorstep to put it home with the Utah ‘tender laid out face down on the ice as he tried to sprawl to make the save.

Coleman jumps on a rebound and tucks it home to even the score

The middle stanza was chalk full of action, starting off with Kadri getting high-sticked off a faceoff by Jack McBain, spinning him to the ice as he lost his stick. He got up and laid a hit on Logan Cooley along the boards and the refs called him for interference, surprisingly the lone penalty on the play.

Cooley would tap in a backdoor tally off a pass from Dylan Guenther at 6:19 on that advantage.

But just over a minute later, Calgary would reply.

Yegor Sharangovich started the play skating up ice, passing to Zary who got a shot off that Vejmelka stopped, but Alexander Kerfoot hauled the Flames forward down and the puck went off him and in as he slid on his backside into the end boards.

Not long after, Zary went looking for his second when he dangled around former Flame Juuso Valimaki and then cut through the slot but lost the puck before he could shoot it.

Zary skates in and buries it from the seat of his pants

Later on, Valimaki was whistled for tripping Kevin Rooney but then Rooney was called for slash as the two lightly bumped as the Calgary centre headed to the box.

Kadri was given a 10-minute misconduct after the play, while Liam O’Brien also received the same penalty.

Pachal brought the C of Red back to their feet at 15:14, sneaking in from the point and taking a pass from Coronato, who had walked through from three Utah players from the left corner, and making no mistake to beat a lunging Vejmelka.

Pachal puts the Flames in front in his 100th career game

The Flames got a late second-period powerplay but Vejmelka made a 10-beller with his arm to rob Zary’s one-timer from the slot.

Keller tipped home a slap pass from Olli Maatta 37 seconds in the final frame and Crouse would beat Vladar shortside on a wide-open look on 2-on-1 to put Utah ahead, with Kevin Stenlund adding the empty-netter with a minute to play.