Predators 5, Flames 1: Calgary Has No Jump, No Answers
Some nights, you can feel the uphill climb before the puck even drops. That was the story for the Calgary Flames in Nashville, where the early energy seemed to belong entirely to the Predators. Calgary wasn’t overwhelmed by structure or skill as much as they were by tempo—the Predators played faster, and the Flames never matched that pace.
There were a few pockets of decent play, a shift here or a small sequence there, but the overarching rhythm leaned toward the home Predators. Nashville built its lead by capitalizing on Calgary’s slow reactions, turning half-chances into real ones. By the time Steven Stamkos hammered home his milestone 1,200th point, the tone was set, and the Flames were in chase mode.
And chase mode is where Calgary stayed for most of the night.
Key Point One: Calgary’s Slow Start Proved Costly
The Flames came out flat, and Mikael Backlund said as much afterward. Nashville’s early jump forced Calgary into retreat, and the Predators’ first two goals—particularly Stamkos’ historic tally—were the result of quick puck touches and faster decision-making. Calgary couldn’t match the pace, and the game snowballed on them.
Key Point Two: The Flames’ Defensive Breakdowns Left Cooley Exposed
Devin Cooley didn’t get much help. Odd-man rushes, lost assignments, and slow support led to high-quality looks against him. Four goals on sixteen shots doesn’t look good on one’s stat sheet, but the issues in front of him were bigger than the goaltending. Dustin Wolf steadied things in relief, but by then the scoreboard already told the story.
Key Point Three: Calgary Got a Small Spark from Morgan Frost
Morgan Frost’s power-play goal was one of the few bright spots, a clean one-timer set up by Nazem Kadri. It wasn’t momentum-changing, but it at least showed a bit of finish on a night when Calgary didn’t generate much sustained pressure.
Final Thoughts from the Flames’ Perspective
For Ryan Huska, the tape will show familiar concerns: slow support, delayed reads, and not enough collective urgency. Calgary’s system only works when all five skaters close space quickly, and that didn’t happen.
The loss also overshadowed some significant moments for Nashville: Stamkos reaching 1,200 points, Reid Schaefer and Ozzy Wiesblatt each scoring their first NHL goals, and Michael Bunting’s strong showing. Those milestones only highlighted how disconnected Calgary looked.
Still, Calgary has shown resilience this year. One sluggish night doesn’t define a season, but it does reinforce the gap between the Flames’ best and their worst. The next step is finding a way to narrow that gap—and rediscover their pace.