The Calgary Flames couldn’t generate enough finish to match their effort, falling 4–1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Calgary was without Jonathan Huberdeau, who missed the contest with a day-to-day injury, while Martin Pospisil made his regular-season debut after a lengthy recovery. The winger slotted into a fourth-line role and brought noticeable energy from his first shift.

Pittsburgh opened the scoring in the first period after establishing a heavy cycle down low. The puck was worked back to the blue line, where a point shot found its way through traffic and was deftly tipped by Evgeni Malkin to give the Penguins a 1–0 lead.

A costly line change came back to haunt the Flames midway through the second. The Penguins struck in transition, with Malkin initiating the rush before the puck moved through Tommy Novak and onto Egor Chinakhov, who snapped a shot past Dustin Wolf to make it 2–0.

Calgary finally broke through late in the period — and at the last possible moment. With just 2.7 seconds remaining, Zach Whitecloud fired a low shot through traffic that deflected off Yegor Sharangovich and past Stuart Skinner. The goal marked Whitecloud’s first point as a Flame, with Kevin Bahl picking up the secondary assist.

Any momentum from the late second-period goal was quickly erased early in the third. Bryan Rust wrapped the puck around the net, burying it past Wolf less than a minute into the frame.

The Flames pushed for a response but were turned aside on a 2-on-1, and Pittsburgh made them pay moments later. Novak led a 3-on-1 rush, held onto the puck, and finished with a slick backhand to the top corner to seal the 4–1 result.

1. Pospisil’s return added bite

Martin Pospisil’s presence was felt immediately in his season debut. He played with pace, finished his checks, and recorded five hits while injecting physicality and edge alongside Adam Klapka and Ryan Lomberg. Even in limited minutes, his speed and aggressiveness stood out.

2. The forecheck was there — the finish wasn’t

Calgary’s forecheck was one of the positives on the night. The Flames repeatedly pinned the Penguins in their own end, winning puck battles and sustaining zone time. While the effort and structure were encouraging, the inability to convert that pressure into goals ultimately proved costly.

3. Kevin Bahl stepping up at the right time

Kevin Bahl continued his recent offensive surge with an assist, extending his point streak to three games. With four assists over that span, the defensively-minded blueliner has found timely offence. His elevated play has been especially important following the departure of Rasmus Andersson, as Bahl continues to take on a larger role.