Flames 6, Sabres 2: Calgary's Wild Third-Period Carries the

Some nights, you can feel a team exhale. That was the Calgary Flames against the Buffalo Sabres last night. The Flames' lineup has been grinding through a rough stretch, but has suddenly found a little life. What stood out wasn’t just the six goals or the four-spot they hung in the third period. It was the way the Flames looked more like themselves again: harder on pucks, steadier on their decisions, and willing to do the patient, greasy work that had gone missing in that loss to the Chicago Blackhawks the night before.

You could almost sense the relief bleeding off the bench once Rasmus Andersson hammered home that early goal. Devin Cooley looked calm, too. Funny what one save and one bounce can do for a goalie trying to steady his footing in the NHL.

Farabee’s Close-to-Home Solid Game Helped His Flames

And then there was Joel Farabee. The youngster from just down the road (Syracuse) doesn’t get many games close to home now that he’s wearing Flames red. Still, he looked like a player who let the context fuel him. Two goals, hustle all over the ice, and enough jump to make Buffalo uncomfortable every time he touched the puck.

Matt Coronato and Morgan Frost chipped in with the sort of scoring that’s been hard to come by for Calgary this year. And maybe that’s the bigger story here. A Flames team that hasn’t seen many lucky bounces finally got a few. The Coronato goal that bounced off the end glass, off a leg, and in felt like the hockey gods tapping Calgary on the shoulder and saying, “Alright, you get one tonight.”

Three Flames Key Points

Key Point One: Rasmus Andersson set the tone early. The first goal was pure instinct. Andersson jumped into the play, read the rebound, and finished with authority. His three-point night was the steadying presence Calgary needed.

Key Point Two: Joel Farabee played like he owned the building. His three skills: speed, grit, and polish, were all there. His breakaway goal was the definition of turning effort into reward.

Key Point Three: Devin Cooley gave the Flames exactly what they’ve been missing. He didn’t need to be spectacular; he just needed to be trustworthy. And, he was all of the three C’s: calm, clean, and composed in his first win with Calgary.

A Final Thought from the Flames’ Perspective

For one night, the Flames looked like a group that remembered who they’re supposed to be. They were heavier on pucks, quicker in their reads, and more determined around the net. If they bottle even a piece of that third period, they might finally inch out of the mud they’ve been stuck in.