Shake 'n' Blake

Coleman scores twice for Flames in 4-1 win over Ducks

By Chris Wahl

CalgaryFlames.com

April 04, 2025

Fast-paced, aggressive.

And in front virtually from the drop of the puck.

The Flames scored on their first shift and never looked back, marking their return to the Scotiabank Saddledome with a 4-1 win over the Ducks.

Blake Coleman led the way with two goals - including the game-winner - while Nazem Kadri and Kevin Rooney also lit the lamp.

"We gotta keep going Saturday night!"

Some of the C of Red faithful were still filing into their seats when Kadri gave them a reason to roar 16 seconds into the contest.

Yegor Sharangovich chipped a puck into neutral ice and quickly, Kadri jumped onto it and raced down the left wing. After hitting the left face-off dot in the Anaheim zone he picked his spot, froze Ducks goalie John Gibson, then ripped his 31st goal of the campaign short-side over the keeper’s right shoulder.

Kadri draws first blood with a snipe just 16 seconds into the game

The homeside provided onstant pressure in the opening frame, sending 14 shots on target. Gibson was forced into a pair of tough saves just before the eight-minute mark off Jonathan Huberdeau, the first off a one-timer from the slot, the second when Huberdeau tucked his stick between his legs, trying to lift the disc over the netminder's right pad.

Coleman had a golden opportunity five minutes later, racing down Main Street, then dancing through former Flames defenceman Oliver Kylington, but his snapshot from in tight was denied by Gibson.

Olen Zellweger got the visitors on level scoring 8:01 into the opening frome, re-directing a cross-crease pass past Dustin Wolf from just outside the blue paint.

The score stayed even at 1-1 through the first half of the second period, but that’s when the tide started to turn in Calgary’s favour.

Adam Klapka thought he had a breakaway opportunity, only to have his attempt thwarted by a delayed penalty at the 9:47 mark.

But where Klapka was denied, Coleman found paydirt, flying away in alone on the Ducks goal less than 30 seconds later. Coleman head-faked, then snapped a writer past the blocker hand of Gibson to put Calgary in front 2-1.

Coleman takes off and puts the Flames ahead with a shortie

After reclaiming the lead, Calgary kept up the pressure; Kadri juked out two Ducks en route to the low slot with just over five minutes on the clock. His high shot beat Gibson, but clanked off the left post.

On the ensuing shift, the Flames fourth line went to work, extending the locals’ lead at 15:19. From behind the cage, Klapka tried to stuff the puck past Gibson’s right pad to no avail, but it then skipped onto the tape of Rooney in the slot, and the Calgary centre made no mistake, firing a shot past Gibson’s glove hand into the top corner.

Rooney snipes one upstairs after Klapka, Lomberg work the forecheck

Wolf made 10 saves in period two, many of them conventional, but one in particular was a bit unorthodox. Anaheim’s Mason McTavish tried to jam the puck in from beside Wolf’s left post, but sensing danger, Wolf fell to the seat of his pants, covering the loose biscuit and halting play.

Coleman went right back to work as the third period began. On a Calgary powerplay, he gained the Ducks zone on right wing, then from the circle, put the puck on target, through backup netminder Lukas Dostal - who had come on in relief of Gibson at the beginning of the frame.

Coleman pads the lead with his second of the night

The Texas Tiger had a couple bids at a hat-trick on his next shift, too. Joel Farabee set him up in the low slot - his shot zipped past Dostal's right post - then a few seconds later, he deflected a point shot just over the crossbar.

Wolf made his best of his 26 saves six minutes into period three. Leo Carlsson fed Troy Terry on a cross-ice pass. From the right circle, Terry pushed the puck on goal but spread-eagled - Wolf covered the low half of the goal and kicked away the shot attempt with his left pad.

With the victory, Wolf improved to 11-1-0 against NHL clubs from his home state of California.

Calgary outshot Anaheim 34-27 on the night.

Sharangovich finished the contest with two assists.