The Calgary Flames couldn’t turn a strong start into two points, falling 3–1 to the Washington Capitals on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Jonathan Huberdeau returned to the lineup after missing the previous game with a day-to-day injury, while Brayden Pachal drew in on the blue line and Hunter Brzustewicz watched from the press box. Devin Cooley got the nod in goal, entering the night riding a 3-0-1 stretch over his last four starts.

Calgary opened the scoring midway through the first period on the power play. Morgan Frost carried the puck over the blue line, drifted into the slot, and snapped a wrist shot past Logan Thompson for his 10th goal of the season. The Flames controlled much of the opening frame, outshooting Washington 16–8 and setting the pace early.

The Capitals answered in the second period, capitalizing on a fortunate bounce. John Carlson’s point shot deflected off traffic in front and landed on the stick of Hendrix Lapierre, who shoveled the puck past Cooley for his first goal in 91 NHL games, tying the contest 1–1.

The deadlock held into the third period before another bounce swung the game. A rebound found Aliaksei Protas in front, and he made no mistake, scoring his 17th of the season to give Washington a 2–1 lead midway through the final frame.

Tempers flared late in the third when Adam Klapka, while seated on the Flames bench, tapped Tom Wilson on the shoulder with his stick, sparking a heated exchange along the boards. Klapka was assessed a game misconduct, and Wilson later received one of his own after drawing the attention of the officials with continued antics.

Alex Ovechkin sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal in the final minutes as the Capitals skated away with a 3–1 victory.

1. Cooley continues to give Calgary a chance

Despite the loss, Devin Cooley was steady once again, making 35 saves. Coming in hot at 3-0-1, he faced several high-quality looks and kept the Flames within striking distance. The goaltending has been there consistently, but offensive support remains an issue.

2. Scoring woes persist

Calgary’s offence stalled yet again, marking the sixth loss in January in which the Flames were limited to a single goal. It was also their third straight one-goal performance that ended in defeat, underscoring an ongoing struggle to generate timely scoring.

3. Paying the price defensively

The Flames defence absorbed plenty of punishment. Mackenzie Weegar blocked a shot off the knee, while Zach Whitecloud took a hard shot to the body that sent him briefly to the locker room before returning. Calgary’s willingness to block shots remains commendable, but the physical toll continues to mount.