WA-WJC-TalentGapClosing_ In his 100th NHL game on Tuesday night, Connor Zary scored a first-period goal, setting the stage for the Calgary Flames to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1 to close out 2024 with a victory. On top of playing in a milestone game, Zary joins an exclusive list of former Flames players who also scored in their 100th NHL games. As the 14th player to join the list, his name is next to franchise icons like Theo Fleury and Kent Nilsson. Interestingly, only one name on the list didn't debut with the Flames. Randy Manery skated his first three NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings before joining Atlanta in 1972-73, playing with the organization for the next five seasons. Regarding scoring more than one goal in their 100th games, Kevin LaValle and Guy Chouinard scored two goals, while Jim Peplinski set a franchise record on Nov. 17, 1981, which may never be broken. In a 6-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets, Peplinski scored four goals for his only career hat trick, becoming one of 17 players in Flames history to score four goals in a game. Meanwhile, Zary became the first Calgary player to achieve the feat since Paul Byron on Nov. 15, 2014, the only two this century on the list. * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined * undefined However, Zary wasn't the only player celebrating a milestone on Tuesday, as Martin Pospisil also skated in his 100th game. He earned an assist on Nazem Kadri's game-winning goal in the third period. With a point in his 100th game, he became the 36th player in Flames to achieve the feat, joining an expanded list that includes Håkan Loob, Jarome Iginla, Oliver Kylington, Matthew Lombardi, Sergei Makarov, Sean Monahan, Joel Otto, and Matthew Tkachuk. Overall, it was a special night for Zary, Pospisil, and the Flames, who woke up for the first time in 2025, sitting in the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNDI4NzY0NzEyNzA3MjMx/thncgybanner-bookmark.png]
