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The Calgary Flames are not excellent within the pre-season.
After profitable three in a row to begin their exhibition slate, the Flames wound up on the improper aspect of a 4-3 time beyond regulation choice in Wednesday’s assembly with the Vancouver Canucks in Abbotsford, B.C.
Jake Bean, Sam Honzek and Dryden Hunt did the lamp-lighting for the Flames, who left their huge names again residence. Calgary-raised left-winger Andrew Basha, a second-round choice within the 2024 NHL Draft, made a reasonably cross to spring Hunt for his breakaway bury.
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Daniel Sprong notched the equalizer with simply 14.3 ticks left in regulation and Vancouver’s prized free-agent acquisition, Jake DeBrusk, scored his second of the night in time beyond regulation. The Canucks’ high weapons related on that sudden-death strike — Quinn Hughes to Elias Pettersson to DeBrusk.
Listed here are three takeaways from Wednesday’s auditions in Abbotsford …
HOW ’BOUT HONZEK?
Honzek was arguably the Flames’ finest ahead in opposition to the Canucks, and his robust exhibiting in three exhibition outings thus far has hardly come as a shock to his low season exercise associate.
This summer time, Honzek educated in Slovakia alongside his teammate Martin Pospisil.
Pospisil advised reporters that Honzek was “excellent” in Sunday’s two-point efficiency in Seattle and “additionally superior” as he piled up three assists Monday in Edmonton. The 19-year-old left-winger continued his offensive sizzling streak with a aim Wednesday, redirecting a cross from his pal Pospisil.
“He’s doing actually good, and I’m actually pleased with him,” Pospisil mentioned of Honzek, a first-round decide within the 2023 NHL Draft and now the Flames’ high power-forward prospect. “He’s exhibiting all of the instruments, what he has. He’s huge. He’s robust. He can skate. I used to be telling him, ‘Simply play easy.’ When he does his issues, he will be actually efficient.
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“I’m actually proud, and he simply has to maintain taking part in like that.”
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 195 lb., Honzek is at his finest when there’s some assertiveness to his recreation.
On Wednesday, he as soon as once more confirmed a willingness to take pucks to the blue paint and managed to carry his personal in board battles in opposition to Vincent Desharnais, who is among the NHL’s greatest dudes. On a third-period sequence, the Flames’ hopeful flashed stable pace to generate a high-danger scoring probability.
Honzek additionally deserved an help after a candy feed to a wide-open Matvei Gridin, however the USHL’s reigning scoring champ was robbed by Canucks netminder Jiri Patera. Gridin, 18, may solely grin after an incredible glove save.
GOALIE IN A GROOVE
By his personal admission, Dustin Wolf put a heap of strain on himself throughout coaching camp final fall.
Since Jacob Markstrom was locked into the beginning position and Dan Vladar was the incumbent backup, Wolf felt like he wanted to be darn-near-perfect to steal a job.
He was finally demoted to minors, left to attend on one other alternative. Accidents ultimately allowed him to log 15 begins on the NHL stage earlier than the season was carried out. After Markstrom was traded to New Jersey, most consider that Wolf will probably be a full-timer in 2024-25.
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“You come into camp and also you’re attempting to pressure a hand and also you form of put strain on your self to mainly be flawless, to a level,” Wolf mentioned, reflecting on the autumn of 2023. “Final 12 months, Marky is the man and I used to be attempting to push Vladdy to earn a spot.
“However I feel this 12 months I’m extra ready, perhaps much less harassed. I nonetheless need to earn a spot, however there are spots to be earned. And now I’ve video games below my belt and I do know what it takes, so I’m simply going to go on the market and play.”
That method appears to be working.
Wolf stopped 17 of 19 in two intervals of motion in Abbotsford. The one pucks to sneak previous him have been on a deflected cross after which a tipped shot.
The 23-year-old Wolf now owns a .943 save proportion in 100 minutes of tune-up work.
Devin Cooley is doing his darnedest to create a crease controversy — and he wouldn’t be blamed on both of the targets he allowed within the late phases of Wednesday’s time beyond regulation loss — however so long as Wolf retains this up, he and Vladar ought to open the season as Calgary’s twine-minding tandem.
INJURY CONCERNS?
There was no shift chart out there Wednesday, making it unattainable to double-check on who performed when, however the Flames appeared to complete the night time with a brief bench.
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It’s believed that each Bean and Matt Coronato exited early.
Right here’s hoping it’s no biggie for both.
Whereas we look ahead to an replace on Bean, who signed over the summer time along with his hometown staff, it ought to be famous that the Flames have already got one damage concern on the left aspect of their blue-line. Kevin Bahl has but to lace ’em up for a observe along with his new squad.
Past Bahl and Bean, Calgary’s crew of left-handed rearguards contains Artem Grushnikov, Joel Hanley, Ilya Solovyov, Jarred Tinordi and high decide Zayne Parekh. (Tinordi was burned on Wednesday’s tying tally, lacking on a pokecheck try as Sprong raced into the offensive zone.)
Coronato was held off the scoresheet in Abbotsford however nonetheless has three targets and 5 factors in three exhibition contests thus far. There’s been loads of debate in Calgary about whether or not the 21-year-old right-winger may pressure the Flames to search out him a spot on one of many high three strains.
Cooley was gradual to rise up after Sprong’s aim, but it surely’s an excellent signal that he remained within the recreation for time beyond regulation.
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