The Calgary Flames (12-16-4) saw their three-game winning streak snapped Wednesday night, falling 4–3 to the Detroit Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] (17-11-3) at the Scotiabank Saddledome. A spirited third-period push gave Calgary a late jolt, but the comeback fell one goal short. Detroit’s top line set the tone early and often. Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat—dangerous from the opening shift—punished Calgary’s slow start, combining on two nearly identical goals in the first three minutes. DeBrincat slipped behind coverage on both plays, finishing a Kane setup on the first tally and then finding Axel Sandin-Pellikka on the backdoor for the second. The Flames settled in as the period wore on and actually finished ahead 8–7 in shots, but trailed 2–0 at the break. © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f7994afa-bc17-4bab-ad37-470641417a64.jpeg] © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images The middle frame brought more of the same. DeBrincat struck again at 7:41, wiring home his second of the night off a sharp pass from Andrew Copp. Moments later, Dylan Larkin extended the lead to 4–0, cutting across the slot and lifting a backhand-forehand finish over Devin Cooley. Despite the deficit, Calgary controlled much of the shot volume through forty minutes, leading 23–15. Calgary finally broke through in the third. Joel Farabee converted on a penalty shot midway through the period—beating John Gibson glove side—to give the Flames some life. The goal ignited the bench. Nazem Kadri set up Matt Coronato moments later, the rookie winger ripping home his 10th of the year to trim the deficit to 4–2. With time winding down, MacKenzie Weegar’s point shot through traffic cut it to one, but Detroit held firm in the final minute, sealing the road victory. Kadri finished with two assists, while Farabee, Coronato, and Weegar supplied the Calgary goals. © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/bc1fc9a8-1427-4dd4-83e0-c286b758657f.jpeg] © Sergei Belski-Imagn Images THREE TAKEAWAYS 1. Brzustewicz Looked the Part Hunter Brzustewicz impressed in his first NHL appearance [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/calgary-flames/latest-news/flames-recall-defenceman-hunter-brzustewicz-from-ahl-wranglers] of the season (second of his career). The young blueliner showed poise, slowing plays down when needed and navigating pressure with confidence. His reads at the blue line were sharp, he escaped checks effectively, and he consistently kept his head up to move pucks cleanly. Ryan Huska trusted him with offensive-zone starts and power-play looks, and the rookie rewarded that faith by directing pucks toward the net and making steady decisions. 2. Chances Were There, Finishes Weren’t Despite outshooting Detroit for long stretches, the Flames struggled to generate second attempts or sustained pressure around the crease. Their power play, electric at times during this homestand, couldn’t generate the needed spark. The late push—three goals in the third—showed they had opportunities, but Calgary left too much runway in front of them after a sluggish opening 20 minutes. 3. Cooley’s Hot Stretch Hits a Speed Bump Devin Cooley (3-4-2) dropped his third straight start and has now allowed nine goals over his last two outings. To be fair, the first three goals Wednesday came off breakdowns and high-quality one-timers—tough stops for any goaltender. Still, four goals on 26 shots won’t cut it. THE FINAL WORD: Weegar on (almost) coming back: “We believed that we were coming back… there was belief that we were coming back and we almost did it… guys felt good in here, we had legs and we had jump… the start hurt us a lot.” Kadri on team belief: “I truly don’t think any deficit is too big, I think there’s always hope… we certainly played like it.”
