Red Hot Flames with 6 Straight Wins – CGY (5) @ ARI (2)

Calgary Flames 5 – Arizona Coyotes 2

Scoring

Calgary Flames

1st: 2:11 – Frolik (3) (Rinaldo), 4:03 – Gaudreau (7) (Ryan)

2nd: 5:28 – Rinaldo (2) (Frolik), 14:18 – Monahan (10) (Backlund/Hamonic)

3rd: PPG 14:32 – Lucic (3) (Andersson, Hanifin)

Arizona Coyotes

1st: None

2nd: 19:49 – Chychrun (7)

3rd: PPG 19:28 – Kessel (7) (Stepan/Keller)

Recap

Calgary Flames coming in hot with two goals within 5 minutes of the first. Horse shoe Flames as Grabner’s shot banks off of the inside of the post, allowing Zac Rinaldo to make a run for it the other way, with a huge assist to Michael Frolik’s goal. Frolik would return the favour in the second period with another unlucky bounce for the Yotes – puck bounces over Kessel’s stick before he can get a shot away. The Flames are able to rush again, Frolik getting the puck to Rinaldo who gets down on one knee for the beauty one-timer.

Gaudreau and Monahan would get goals in the first and second period respectively, both playing on separate lines. Making it 4-0 for the Flames, the best lead they’ve had in a while. Talbot’s been solid in net, but Yotes finally get one past him and the Flames defence with only 10 seconds left in the second.

The score would be 4-1 for most of the third, until Milan Lucic strikes – with the perfect placement of his stick, and Andersson with the perfect shot pass off Lucic’s stick into the net.

Final Thoughts

Matthew Tkachuk sits out with an upper body injury. In comes Zac Rinaldo. Geoff Ward still juggling the lines, and Frolik loving it with 2 goals in back-to-back games for him from different line mates.

Arizona Coyotes outshot the Flames, the defence did a good job shielding Talbot and blocking shots. With some puck luck and some really impressive saves by Talbot, including the pad save that allowed the perfect sequence of Hamonic-to-Backlund-to-Monahan for the Flames 4th goal of the game and Sean Monahan’s 4th consecutive goal, the Flames were able to bag their 6th win.

Who would have thought come mid December we would be hearing Frolik, Rinaldo, and Lucic score 3 of 5 Flames goals, and the Flames win 5-2 with Cam Talbot in net. Phil Kessel getting his 7th goal of the season with 31.9 seconds left in the game.

Flame of The Game

The group effort showed for this team. Zac Rinaldo stood out with his impressive forechecking, laying out players – and then sending them CBD gifts for Christmas. Talbot deserves a shoutout with his 46 saves in the Flames victory.

What’s Next?

12/12: Calgary Flames vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, 7PM MT

by Renu Sahota