The Calgary Flames have finally broken their slump at Sunrise Arena, coming from behind to defeat the Florida Panthers 5-3 and sending them to their fourth loss in six home games. Nazem Kadri and Joel Farabee led the charge, with both players scoring a goal and assisting on another. MacKenzie Weegar, a defenseman who once suited up for the Panthers, found the back of the net against his former team, giving Calgary a crucial 3-2 lead early in the second period.
Calgary had been struggling to find its footing, but goalie Alex Cooley's impressive performance changed the tide. The young netminder made 17 saves before halftime and then continued to shut down Florida's scoring chances for the next 30 minutes of play. The Flames capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play that extended into the second period, with Morgan Frost finding the back of the net and sealing the win for Calgary.
The Panthers had dominated the early going, taking a 2-0 lead in just the first minute thanks to goals from Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett. However, Cooley's swift response turned the momentum on its head, and Florida soon found themselves trailing 3-2. Brad Marchand's 15th goal of the season with midway through the third period cut into Calgary's advantage, but it was too little, too late.
Yan Kuznetsov finally broke the deadlock for Florida, but it wasn't enough to prevent a costly loss. The Panthers' woes at home continued, as they fell to their fourth loss in six games and sixth in eight on home ice. The Flames, meanwhile, snapped out of their slumber with a hard-fought win that will give them confidence heading into Sunday's showdown against the Carolina Hurricanes.
In related news, the Panthers will look to bounce back at home on Tuesday when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Calgary had been struggling to find its footing, but goalie Alex Cooley's impressive performance changed the tide. The young netminder made 17 saves before halftime and then continued to shut down Florida's scoring chances for the next 30 minutes of play. The Flames capitalized on a 5-on-3 power play that extended into the second period, with Morgan Frost finding the back of the net and sealing the win for Calgary.
The Panthers had dominated the early going, taking a 2-0 lead in just the first minute thanks to goals from Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett. However, Cooley's swift response turned the momentum on its head, and Florida soon found themselves trailing 3-2. Brad Marchand's 15th goal of the season with midway through the third period cut into Calgary's advantage, but it was too little, too late.
Yan Kuznetsov finally broke the deadlock for Florida, but it wasn't enough to prevent a costly loss. The Panthers' woes at home continued, as they fell to their fourth loss in six games and sixth in eight on home ice. The Flames, meanwhile, snapped out of their slumber with a hard-fought win that will give them confidence heading into Sunday's showdown against the Carolina Hurricanes.
In related news, the Panthers will look to bounce back at home on Tuesday when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs.