No Place Like Strome!

Flames knock off Lightning 4-3 in OT

By Chris Wahl

CalgaryFlames.com

March 23, 2026

Make it three straight wins on this six-game Flames homestand!

Ryan Strome's goal 26 seconds into overtime helped the locals send the C of Red home happy again, lifting Calgary to a 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay.

Victor Olofsson, Morgan Frost and Mikael Backlund also found the back of the net for the Flames, while Devin Cooley turned in a 32-save performance that included a few highlight-reel stops.

See all the action from Sunday night's overtime thriller

The Lightning opened the scoring 7:25 into the first period when a Ryan McDonagh wrist shot caromed past Cooley, but the lead was short-lived thanks to a pair of quick Calgary strikes 27 seconds apart.

First, Olofsson wired a wrist shot into the top corner from the right circle after a setup out of the corner by Yegor Sharangovich.

Olofsson wires a rocket top shelf

Then, the Flames took a 2-1 lead through Frost, who chipped a puck over Jonas Johansson’s left shoulder from in tight after Matt Coronato found his tape with a crisp, backhand pass off the left wall.

Frost scores 27 seconds after Olofsson

Cooley kept the scoreline in Calgary’s favour with a 10-beller at the buzzer, lunging across his crease to his right to rob Brandon Hagel with the blocker after Hagel received a cross-zone pass from linemate Nikita Kucherov at the bottom of the left circle.

Cooley with a great save against Brandon Hagel

Backlund added to the home team’s tally 8:28 into period two, when he strode down the right wing after the Flames forced a turnover, stepping into a slapshot that sailed past Johansson and into the top corner of the net.

Backlund unloads big slapshot for goal off a rush

Darren Raddysh got one back for Tampa Bay with a one-timer from the point, and Cooley prevented the visitors from tying the game with 14 total second-period stops, and some help from his right post, which was bruised by a Brayden Point chance from in tight that appeared destined for the yawning cage.

Blake Coleman thought he’d restored the two-goal advantage for Calgary with 11 seconds left in the frame. The winger converted on an odd-man rush with Backlund, but after a coach’s challenge, the play was overturned on account of an offside.

Johansson got some help of his own in the third, when Coronato batted a puck out of midair at the bottom of the right circle, but his quick, hand-eye effort struck iron, and stayed out.

At the other end, the Lightning applied more pressure on Cooley and the Calgary defence, eventually tying the contest at 3-3 thanks to a slot shot from Pontus Holmberg with 4:20 remaining in the frame.

That sent the game to overtime, and in the extra frame, Matvei Gridin and Strome took charge. The young winger escaped the check of defenceman J.J. Moser before dishing the disc to Strome, who one-timed the puck short-side on Johansson for the game-winner, and his second goal in Flames silks.

Centre Tyson Gross, signed from St. Cloud State of the NCAA, made his NHL debut in his hometown. The 23-year-old won 60% of his draws over 8:07 of ice-time.