The Calgary Flames’ night started with Andy Frost reading out the starting lineup in their dressing room.
A few hours later, it ended with his son burying the first overtime winner of his career to give the visiting Flames (13-16-4) a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings (14-8-9).
Big night for the Frost family, you could say.
“He did a great job,” the younger Frost said of his dad, who had a lot of practice reading out starting lineups as the longtime public address announcer for the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I didn’t know if he still had that much energy in him, but he did a great job.”
Nobody celebrated Frost’s overtime winner more than the posse of hockey dads who are on the Flames’ California road trip.
It wasn’t the most action-packed game, but the Flames were the better team throughout the night and outshot the Kings 38-21. If it hadn’t been for Darcy Kuemper in the L.A. net, Saturday night’s game wouldn’t have required overtime.
As it is, the two points moved the Flames to within five points of the Western Conference’s second wildcard position. They’ve won four of their last five games and Saturday’s effort was one of their best of the season.
“It was a complete game,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska told reporters. “We got off to a good start and I thought the pace we played at tonight was good for us.”
Here are three takeaways from Saturday night’s game:
Forward Blake Coleman (second from left among the Flames players) is greeted by teammates after scoring during the second period on Saturday.
STREAK STAYS ALIVE
Playing in front of his dad clearly brings out the best in Blake Coleman.
The previous time the Flames had a Dads Trip, back in early 2024, the veteran winger scored in both games they played.
On Saturday, he did it again, lighting the lamp in the second period when the Flames were shorthanded.
Maybe Flames management needs to figure out a way to make sure Coleman’s dad, Rusty, is at every game.
That’s not to say Coleman isn’t finding ways to produce when he doesn’t have family at games. His goal total for the season now stands at nine, which is second behind only Matt Coronato among Flames players.
Three of those have come when the Flames were killing a penalty, and Coleman is now tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals with the Kings’ own Joel Armia.
Dustin Wolf celebrates the Flames’ win in Los Angeles.
ANOTHER STRONG START
Dustin Wolf didn’t face a tonne of shots from the Kings, but that doesn’t mean it was an easy night.
He still had to make some spectacular stops, including a save-of-the-year candidate in the first period when he robbed Kevin Fiala.
“I thought he played really well,” Huska said. “Not all that busy, the guys in front of him did a really good job of limiting the chances against. But when he had to make the saves he needed to at key times, he did that tonight.”
Since being sat for a couple games at the end of November and start of the month, Wolf has been excellent in the crease. He’s now won four straight games and has put up a .943 save percentage.
Wolf is back to his best and it’s no coincidence that the Flames are picking up points in the standings now that he’s found some form.
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT
Sometimes, hockey players can make the game they play sound so simple.
If you’re Frost and you force a turnover from the Kings’ Brandt Clarke and suddenly find yourself skating up ice with the puck on your stick, it’s obvious that you should give the puck to Jonathan Huberdeau and just go hard to the net, right?
These things are easier said than done, but that’s exactly what Frost did and he was handsomely rewarded.
“The plan is always to get the puck to Huberdeau and get open, that’s all I was thinking there,” Frost said. “Give it to him and go to the net.”
Frost deserves a lot of credit for the heads-up defensive play he made right before the goal and the entire closing sequence was a well-deserved, pretty bit of hockey.
And yeah, when you’ve got a guy who can pass the puck like Huberdeau out there with you, getting it to him and skating to the net as fast as you can is as good a plan as any.
Mackenzie Weegar and Flames teammates celebrate their win.