CALGARY — The Calgary Flames woke up on the first day of 2025 in an NHL playoff spot to the surprise of many.
The Flames leapfrogged over the Vancouver Canucks into the second wild-card spot in the NHL's Western Conference after Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Canucks.
"Unbelievable," was Calgary centre's Nazem Kadri's feeling about defying pre-season expectations of the Flames.
“Who all had that here? Anyone project that? Experts...”
Kadri grinned as he poked fun at hockey pundits, but pointed out there's a lot of hockey still to be played this season.
“Listen, we fight till the end. That's how it works. There's a lot of year to play,” Kadri said. “It's going to be great going into the New Year in a spot. We'd like to build on that.”
Expectations of the team were low to start the season because the Flames had traded away so many veteran pieces in previous months — goalie Jacob Markstrom, defencemen Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin and Nikita Zadorov and centre Elias Lindholm — to get younger and open up spots for rookies
If there were doubters outside the dressing room, the belief existed within it.
"I didn't sign here to lose,” said forward Ryan Lomberg. “I didn't think we would be in the basement, like everybody thought.
“I knew that there were guys here, coaching staff, management, players on the team, everything about it. I knew that this is exactly where we were going to be — bubble, fighting to get in, and having to earn it every night.”
After winning a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last season, Lomberg signed a two-year contract with Calgary, where he'd broken into the NHL in 2017-18.
In his patented feisty form, the fourth-line winger was in the middle of a spicy second period Tuesday that featured three fights and a couple other melees in a clash of divisional rivals
“It means a lot when guys are sticking up for one another. It's a sign of the brotherhood that we're trying to get to here and that we're growing,” said Lomberg, who fought Erik Brannstrom and then Derek Forbort.
“What an animal,” said Kadri. “He would have been ready to go for another couple at least. He's got great energy, he's always ready to play for the fellows. We certainly take note of that, we acknowledge that, and we definitely appreciate it.”
After a 3-0 loss to Vegas two nights earlier, Flames head coach Ryan Huska liked his club's response.
“I loved it,” he stated. “I thought it was a great game. That's the most emotion that we've had in a game.
Leading Calgary's unexpected success has been a mixture of young guys stepping up and veterans rebounding.
Jonathan Huberdeau, who set up Kadri's go-ahead goal at 9:18 of the third period with a beautiful cross-ice pass and scored an empty-net goal, leads the team in scoring with 29 points (16 goals, 13 assists). He's on pace for his best season in a Flames uniform since Florida traded him to Calgary in the summer of 2022.
Connor Zary, 23, who played his 100th career came, is one of the emerging young players. His ninth goal gave Calgary a 1-0 first period lead.
Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, also 23, improved to 12-5-2 with 23 saves against the Canucks. He boasts a 10-1-1 record on home ice.
“We're happy with the way our game is trending,” said Huska. “Maybe the most important thing for me is the players understand the style that we have to play, and they've really bought into it, and it's not an easy way to play, but they realize when they are playing that way and when they're not, which is important for me.”
The Flames want to continue defying expectations. They host the Utah Hockey Club on Thursday.
"We're not here to be in a playoff spot on January first and then not when the season's over,” said Lomberg.
"So it's great that we're in one now, and we've got to do what we can to stay in one and continue to climb here. because we're proving people wrong, but we're not proving ourselves wrong. We know what we're capable of, especially when we play the right way.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 1, 2025.
Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press
