Nazem Kadri scored a powerplay goal in the third period, but the Flames fell 3-1 to the visiting Detroit Red Wings Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Former Flame Cam Talbot made 33 saves in the victory for the visitors, while Dustin Wolf – who was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for January earlier in the day - had 23 stops for Calgary.
The game marked the debut of Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, acquired in a trade with the Flyers on Thursday night.
On the opening shift, Matt Coronato circled in the zone and dragged the puck before snapping one of his patented wristers that beat Talbot high glove but clanged off the iron.
The Flames built up a 6-0 edge in shots to start the night, with Farabee bringing the fans out of their seats when MacKenzie Weegar sprung him up the middle on a breakaway as he split the defenders but just as he was about to shoot, Red Wings blueliner Moritz Seider made an incredible play to catch up and get a piece of his stick.
Dylan Larkin would open the scoring at 8:27 when he snapped the puck past Wolf using Weegar as a screen.
Detroit would add to the lead with 45.1 seconds to go in the frame, Simon Edvinsson pinching in from the point on a broken play and wiring one shortside.
Wolf would come across his crease to deny Vladimir Tarasenko who took a cross-ice feed from Andrew Copp on an odd-man rush with 7.8 ticks left in the first.
Wolf made a couple of big stops early in the second, denying Michael Rasmussen who held and fired on a 2-on-1, then making a kick save on Tarasenko’s one-timer from the high slot.
The Flames, meanwhile, kept peppering Talbot but couldn’t find twine.
Blake Coleman tipped a shot by Joel Hanley that hit the post and then later following a turnover, Coleman spun and fired which was stopped, then Frost denied on his rebound attempt.
Calgary got the first powerplay of the game at 7:06 when Marco Kasper hooked Coronato as he tried to finesse a shot in tight.
On the ensuing PP, Huberdeau set up Kadri for a great shot, then later Frost walked out from the corner and went forehand/backhand looking shortside but Talbot stopped both.
Kadri would stay out as Calgary was changing powerplay units and took a pass from Weegar, skating into the zone and snapping one under Talbot’s arm at 8:34.
Calgary would pull Wolf with 2:13 to go but Andrew Copp would ice it with an empty-netter with 55 seconds to play.
