by The Calgary Flames played three games on a crucial home court before the Christmas break, but are 1-1-1 after a 4-3 overtime loss to the visiting Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
The Flames led 2-0 and 3-1 before the Bruins tied it with two goals in the third period. David Pastrnak scored the winning goal in the final 38 seconds of overtime.
The loss was only goaltender Dustin Wolf’s second loss on home ice this season, while Nazem Kadri extended his point streak to five games.
Despite this latest setback, the spirited Ottawa Senators are in town on Thursday. The Flames don’t have time to dwell on tonight’s findings.
Flames didn’t play the entire 60 minutes
Despite failing to win a single face-off in the first period (11-0), the two teams remained tied 0-0, but the Flames led in shots and goals. They had a great time and were the more dominant team.
Calgary scored three goals in the second period through Jeremy Swayman, with Matt Coronato, Kadri and Ryan Lomberg each lighting the lamp. After a wild week that included giving birth to his daughter and receiving his Stanley Cup ring, Lomberg scored his first goal in a Flames sweater.
However, that was the final highlight of the night for the home team, who let the Bruins dictate the tempo in the third period, finishing the game with the final two goals and eight shots, with three more in overtime.
With the game on the line, the Flames didn’t get another puck from Swayman at 6:31 of the third period and didn’t get another one in overtime. Although they still have some zone time in the final 25 minutes, the Bruins goaltender was hardly tested.
Patience and hard work pay off
Last year, Lomberg played for the Florida Panthers, where he won the Stanley Cup. He came to Calgary in the off-season and made a difference in the locker room and on the ice.
Whether it’s hard work or a vibrant personality, Lomberg has made significant contributions to the Flames organization and is the spark plug guy who put rebuilding plans out the window.
His second goal was the first in a Calgary sweater and his first since March 4, 2024. Everyone could see the monkey move off his back to finally light the lamp, a testament to his hard work and commitment to this craft.
Bad bounces cause problems
Sometimes when a team loses, the blame is shifted to the poor start of a team’s goalkeeper. However, that is not the case with Wolf and his performance on Tuesday.
Related: Can Wolf become a goalie for the Fifth Flames and win 20 home games in a season?
The Bruins scored three goals and forced overtime with lucky balls and cracking goals. Only Pastrnak’s sniper in overtime was the only goal that Wolf gave up.
Ultimately, the offense ran dry, the defense had a few misfires and left Wolf to his own devices. Sometimes a goalkeeper can only do so much in moments like this, and while this loss is part of Wolf’s record, it’s not entirely his fault.
The Flames have a lot to clean up before their next game on Thursday.
Flames & Bruins Trivia Answers
How did you do in our match day quiz? Here are the answers.
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Johnny Gaudreau
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Al MacInnis
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Mike Vernon
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Joe Mullen
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Andy Moog
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Jim Craig
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Billy MacMillan
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Willy Plett
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Fred Creighton, Mike Keenan
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Dan Bouchard
