Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov, left, blocks the net on Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman during first period NHL hockey action in Calgary, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
CALGARY – Blake Coleman scored short-handed and had an assist for the Calgary Flames in a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the visiting Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
Coleman’s scored the go-ahead goal at 11:44 of the third period. Ramus Andersson and Connor Zary also scored in the third period for Calgary (9-12-3).
Calgary’s starter Dustin Wolf made 30 saves for the win in his second career NHL start, which was against the most prolific club in the league in shots on net, and the stingiest in shots allowed.
Stefan Noesen and Michael Bunting had a goal apiece for the Carolina Hurricanes (14-11-1).
Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 24 shots a night after he was pulled early in a 6-1 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton, and where ‘Canes captain Jordan Staal had called the team’s performance “all-around crap”.
Wolf, the American Hockey League’s most valuable player and top goalie last season, was called up Tuesday. He played almost two periods in relief of Dan Vladar in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Minnesota.
Which goalie can assert himself in Jacob Markstrom’s absence has been the buzz around the Flames since Markstrom fractured a finger on his right blocker hand in Monday’s practice. Markstrom’s status is week-to-week.
After a lacklustre 40 minutes, the Flames ignited in the third period by striking twice in an 81-second span followed by Coleman’s short-handed goal.
Calgary successfully challenged for goaltender interference on what would have been a Sebastian Aho equalizer with just under five minutes remaining in regulation.
Coleman collected the puck off a neutral-zone turnover by the Hurricanes. He skated the puck into the zone and beat Kochetkov with a wrist shot to the corner of the net from the high slot.
The visitors outshot the Flames 21-16 and led 2-0 after two periods.
Andersson pounced on a loose puck in the slot to backhand it by Kochetkov at 5:42 of the third. Adam Ruzicka’s shot squeezed through the goaltender’s pads for Zary to bat in at 7:03.
After killing off the first of two Calgary power-play chances in the first period, the ‘Canes led 2-0 by 8:49. The Flames turned the puck over high in the offensive zone and Bunting tipped in a Dmitry Orlov one-timer.
Calgary gave up the first goal an eighth straight game and for the 13th time in 17 dating back to Nov. 1. Noesen redirected a Jaccob Slavin shot from the blue line at 2:05 following an offensive-zone faceoff.
UP NEXT
Calgary concludes a six-game homestand Saturday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils.
The Hurricanes continue their nine-game road swing Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2023.
