Flames beat Blackhawks 6-4, cap comeback attempt – Hockey Writers – NHL News

The Calgary Flames host the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday afternoon at the Saddledome. The Flames had lost two in a row and were looking to get back to winning ways. On the other hand, the Blackhawks were on a three-game winning streak, which is the first for this team in two years. This competition came to an end as the Flames beat the Blackhawks 6-4 and prevented them from winning again.

Blake Coleman, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Connor Zary each had a goal and an assist, while Connor Bedard had a goal and two assists. Dustin Wolf won his 10th game of the season, but Peter Mrazek lost his first game back from a groin injury.

Recap of the game

The first few minutes of the match looked like it would be an even affair. Mrazek did an unbelievable thing on Zary to keep the game tied at zero. It looked like the Blackhawks would have a chance after that, but the momentum shifted more to the Flames. Huberdeau stripped Seth Jones of the puck at the blue line and beat Frank Nazar high for a shorthanded goal. 1-0 Flames. After that, Nazem Kadri struck just after a minute, hitting Mrazek with a wrist shot to escape the rush. The Flames lead 2-0 at halftime.

Wow, what a save by Petr Mrazek. #Black people pic.twitter.com/vOiCHOvXvu

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@Croumeliotis) December 21, 2024

The Flames maintained the momentum created in the first half. It looked like the Blackhawks might be in the game after Bedard finished his eighth season with a 2-1 record. But the Flames responded quickly, with Zary and Michael Coronato hitting home runs to extend the lead. Then, with about two minutes left, Coleman made a shot between the legs to make the game wide open at 5-1. The Flames were the better team in the first two halves.

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The Blackhawks made a strong push when trailing in the third quarter all season. This game was no different. Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice to bring the Blackhawks within two goals with five minutes remaining. When the goalkeeper was pulled, Ilya Mikheyev scored to reduce the gap to 5-4. In the end, it was too little, as the Flames were able to close the game when captain Mikael Backlund scored into an empty net, winning 6-4.

What's Next?

The Flames now hold a 16-11-7 record with the win today. With 39 points, they leapfrogged the Vancouver Canucks and sit in fourth place in the Pacific Division. The Blackhawks fell to 12-20-2 and sit in last place in the Central Division.

The Blackhawks next play the Minnesota Wild on Monday, while the Flames enter a weeklong Christmas break before playing the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 28.