Game Of Inches

Flames battle back to earn a point against the Islanders

By Chris Wahl

@wahlsy CalgaryFlames.com

November 19, 2023

Call it a point gained.

The Flames battled back from 3-1 and 4-3 deficits Saturday, before dropping a 5-4 shootout decision to the Islanders at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

New York forward Oliver Wahlstrom broke the deadlock in the fourth round of the shootout, as Calgary picked up three of a possible four points over their mini two-game homestand.

Martin Pospisil, Blake Coleman, MacKenzie Weegar and Yegor Sharangovich all found the back of the net for the locals, while Jacob Markstrom turned aside 29 shots over the 65 minutes of play.

Highlights, interviews and analysis from the game

The two sides are infrequent foes, and that unfamiliarity led to a bit of a feeling-out process over the first 10 minutes.

Markstrom turned aside his first test on a chance from his former Vancouver teammate, Bo Horvat, making a stick stop from in tight in the opening minutes.

Calgary had the first powerplay of the contest moments later, coming close to opening the scoring on a pass to Andrew Mangiapane in the low slot that was barely outmatched by a quick stick lift from the Isles' Cal Clutterbuck.

But minutes later, the home side opened the scoring.

Nazem Kadri and the Kids continued their run of form on the Flames' first goal - Kadri accepted a touch pass from Connor Zary before springing Pospisil on a fast break.

Pospisil raced down the right wing, lunging for the puck in the low slot before roofing the disc after outwaiting a prone Ilya Sorokin in the Islanders crease.

Pospisil speeds down the wing, cuts to the net and buries a beauty

The visitors tied proceedings at 1-1 with 3:08 to play in the frame when Hudson Fasching pounced on a loose puck on the left side of the Calgary zone, snapping a shot past Markstrom from the top of the circle.

Calgary outshot New York 10-8 in period one.

The Islanders took a 2-1 lead 4:07 into the middle frame when veteran Kyle Palmieri banged in a rebound from just outside Markstrom's crease.

New York added to their advantage just under four minutes later during four-on-four action, Mathew Barzal slotting home his fourth goal of the season with a quick release from the slot.

The guests continued to press, and Markstrom made his toughest save of the contest midway through the middle stanza, denying Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom on a partial break with a right pad stop.

The Flames cut the deficit to 3-2 before the end of the period thanks to Coleman, who tapped in a pass from Nick DeSimone at the left post for his fifth goal of the season after the Calgary blueliner was found trailing the play with a quick, cross-ice pass from Jonathan Huberdeau.

DeSimone makes a pretty pass and Coleman does the rest in tight

The start of the third period brought about a new sense of vigour for the homeside. The Flames nearly tied the game in the opening moments on a tricky bank-shot attempt from Huberdeau and a slapshot from Andrew Mangiapane that forced Sorokin into a series of tricky stops.

The homeside's hard work paid off at the 3:11 mark.

Weegar fired a puck from the point that caromed past the New York goalkeeper off the stick of Alexander Romanov, evening the score at 3-3.

The Flames defender matched his 2022-23 goals total in the process with his fourth of the campaign.

Weegar launches a one-timer to tie the game at three

But the Islanders counter-punched 21 seconds later on a backhand rebound from Brock Nelson, who grabbed a puck at the edge of the crease to deposit his eighth goal of the season.

Markstrom kept the Flames deficit at one goal through the middle of the stanza, stopping Holmstrom twice in quick succession.

Those saves allowed Calgary to even the score again at 13:43, when Sharangovich tipped Noah Hanifin's point shot from the slot past a screened Sorokin.

Sharangovich swith a dandy tip to tie up game

Sharangovich's goal helped kickstart the contest into high gear, with the teams trading chances through the rest of regulation time and a scoreless overtime period that saw Calgary push their shots on goal total to 39.

After forcing extra time, Sharangovich then opened the scoring in the shootout, deking past a prone Sorokin on the first opportunity of the penalty shot session.

Horvat, then Wahlstrom replied for New York, who snapped a seven-game losing skid in earning the extra point.

¸Zary and Kadri both finished with two assists for the Flames.

Weegar led the locals with nine shot attempts and five hits.