Athletic Kadri Goal One Of Few Highlights In Brutal Flames Loss

The game itself was forgettable. The exception might be the leaping pirouette by Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri. 

Down 4-1 a little more than halfway through the contest, Kadri chased down a loose puck, hurdled over Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jan Moser, caught his balance with a 360 spin, then ripped a puck past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

"I used to run track in high school," Kadri joked with Flames TV host Brendan Parker after the second period. "Couple hurdles here and there; 100-metre dash."

It almost sparked a Flames comeback. When Kadri joked with Parker after 40 minutes, the Flames were facing a one-goal deficit. Not long after Kadri's highlight-reel tally, Connor Zary extended his own streak with a nifty shot that sent the Flames to the locker-room down 4-3. 

Considering how often the Flames have turned the third period into their best this season, there was reason to be hopeful. 

Unfortunately for Flames fans eager for a strong start to a five-game pre-holiday home stand, the Lightning had other plans. 

Brandon Hagel scored less than a minute into the third period and the Bolts added salt to the wound with three more. 

Jake Guentzel had a hat-trick. Nikita Kucherov scored a goal and six points to tie his own franchise record, and Calgarian Brayden Point had a goal and four points to help the Lightning pull off an 8-3 victory at the Saddledome. 

"It wasn't pretty out there," Flames veteran Jonathan Huberdeau, who actually had the hosts off to a good start with a goal on an unassisted effort less than five minutes into the contest, told reporters post-game.

It was pretty. Just not for the Flames, who also didn't get great goaltending from Dan Vladar — although he was largely hung out to dry by his teammates on the night. 

"(We) didn't defend very well. That's what it comes down to. That was pretty non-existent," said Kadri, who has had a hot hand of late. "That's what good players do — they shove it down your throat."