The Calgary Flames‘ hot start went to waste for the second-straight game, as they wound up losing Tuesday’s outing to the Vegas Golden Knights by a 4-2 final. The Flames appeared to be well in control of this one early, as they dominated the Golden Knights through the first period before having the wheels fall off a short time later.
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While it’s too early in the season to be a concern just yet, the Flames are going to have to figure out a way to become a much better team for an entire 60 minutes than what we’ve seen to this point. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from what marked their third-straight loss.
Flames Struggling to Score Goals
The biggest concern for this Flames team entering the 2025-26 season was their goal scoring. It was something they struggled with throughout the 2024-25 campaign, and, to no surprise, has plagued them again early this season. They’ve found the back of the net just eight times through their first four games.
“To me, it’s just not playing the complete game to the way we have to play it,” head coach Ryan Huska said postgame. “That’s really the difference for me.”
Several players, including Nazem Kadri, have yet to find the back of the net. Not helping matters is that Jonathan Huberdeau remains out with an injury. They could desperately use him back in the lineup, though they need others, such as Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, and Yegor Sharangovich, to get going and chip in with some secondary scoring.
Nightmarish Debut From Miromanov
The Flames elected to sit Jake Bean and Brayden Pachal on Tuesday night, allowing for Daniil Miromanov to make his 2025-26 debut. Many were puzzled that Miromanov made the roster out of camp after a tough 2024-25 campaign, and those detractors won’t be quieting down after the 28-year-old’s showing in this one.
Daniil Miromanov, Calgary Flames (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)
Miromanov had some ugly moments throughout this game, particularly in the third period. He was walked around with relative ease by Jack Eichel, who then drove the net and was able to put one past Dustin Wolf. It marked Eichel’s second marker of the game, and also stood as the game-winning goal. That moment alone could result in Miromanov spending even more time in the press box moving forward.
What’s also worth keeping an eye on is that Huberdeau is reportedly closing in on a return, meaning that the Flames will have to remove a player from their roster. While Matvei Gridin and Sam Honzek are both waiver-exempt, their strong play, paired with Miromanov’s struggles in this outing, could result in the Russian defenceman being placed on waivers.
Wolf Yet to Dominate
Aside from the season opener in which he dazzled versus the Edmonton Oilers, Wolf’s start hasn’t been what most would have expected. The 24-year-old wasn’t terrible by any means on Tuesday night, but failed to come up with the key, timely saves this fan base became accustomed to in his rookie season.
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Wolf finished the game having allowed three goals on 29 shots. It’s the third-straight outing in which he’s posted a save percentage (SV%) below .900. Through the opening four games of the season, he owns a disappointing 3.77 goals-against average (GAA) paired with a .873 SV%. Those numbers will have to improve in dramatic fashion if the Flames are going to be a playoff team this season.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
The Flames will be right back in action on Wednesday, as they are headed south to face the Utah Mammoth. They will then have two nights off before a rematch versus the Golden Knights on the road on Saturday to end their week. They’ll return to Calgary afterward, with two home tilts next Monday and Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.
