The Calgary Flames showed signs of improvement Thursday night but couldn’t keep pace with the Colorado Avalanche, falling 7-3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The game featured a pair of familiar faces returning to Calgary in Nazem Kadri and Cale Makar. Makar grew up in Calgary, while Kadri spent multiple seasons with the Flames before being traded to Colorado.

Calgary also welcomed two new faces to the lineup. Jonathan Costagna made his NHL debut, while Aydar Suniev appeared in his first game of the season after being recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Devin Cooley got the start in net.

Colorado opened the scoring late in the first period when Makar found Devon Toews beside the crease. Toews redirected the puck past Cooley to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead.

Adam Klapka provided an immediate response for Calgary at 17:30 with an impressive individual effort. The forward carried the puck into Colorado’s zone, toe-dragged around Josh Manson and fired a wrist shot past Scott Wedgewood to tie the game 1-1.

It was Klapka’s first goal of the season, while Costagna picked up his first NHL point with the secondary assist.

The Avalanche took control in the second period, starting with Toews’ second goal of the night at 6:45. His point shot found its way through traffic and past a screened Cooley to restore Colorado’s lead.

Makar extended the advantage moments later, beating Cooley with a quick wrist shot between the goaltender’s glove and body. The Colorado defenceman’s second point of the night made it 3-1.

The Flames continued to struggle defensively as Colorado maintained pressure in the offensive zone. Nathan MacKinnon capitalized at 11:39, blasting a one-timer past Cooley off a feed from Zachary L’Heureux to push the lead to 4-1.

Frustration began to show as Matt Coronato and L’Heureux exchanged words before dropping the gloves for a brief but spirited fight along the boards.

Colorado continued to pull away in the third period. Makar completed his two-goal night with a shot from the high slot that found the top of the net, making it 5-1. MacKinnon and Kadri picked up the assists.

The Avalanche added another when T.J. Hughes found Jaden Schwartz in front of the net. Schwartz finished the play by roofing the puck past Cooley to make it 6-1.

Calgary responded with a pair of goals of its own. Mikael Backlund finished a give-and-go with Ryan Strome at 7:17, cutting the deficit to four.

Kevin Bahl followed at 8:28, putting a shot toward the net that deflected past Wedgewood off a body in front. Suddenly, the Flames had scored twice in just over a minute to make it 6-3.

Any hopes of building further momentum were short-lived. On the next shift, Schwartz sent the puck toward the net, where it deflected off Jake Middleton and past Cooley to restore Colorado’s four-goal advantage.

The Avalanche held on for the 7-3 win, leaving Calgary with another difficult result despite a more competitive start and a late offensive push.

1. A better response, but defensive issues remain

The Flames showed more life against a difficult opponent and found ways to generate offence, particularly in the first and third periods. However, Colorado took advantage of defensive breakdowns and sustained offensive-zone pressure to create separation. Calgary’s late push was encouraging, but it came after the game had largely been decided.

2. Adam Klapka makes his presence felt

Klapka was one of Calgary’s most effective players on the night. His first goal of the season was a highlight-reel effort, showcasing his speed, puck control and finishing ability. He also brought a physical presence and remained engaged throughout the game. His performance made a strong case for a larger role as the night progressed.

3. Costagna gets his first NHL point

Costagna’s NHL debut was a milestone in an otherwise difficult night for the Flames. After taking part in his rookie lap during warmups, the rookie forward recorded his first career NHL point by assisting on Klapka’s first-period goal.