The Calgary Flames delivered their most impressive offensive performance of the young season Wednesday night, erupting for a season-high six goals in a decisive 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.
Offensive Explosion Leads to Much-Needed Win
In what has been a challenging start to the 2025 NHL campaign, the Flames finally found their scoring touch against the Sabres. The six-goal outburst marked Calgary's highest single-game total this season and provided a welcome confidence boost for a team that has struggled to find consistency.
Defenseman Rasmus Andersson led the charge with an outstanding three-point performance, contributing one goal and two assists. Forward Joel Farabee added two goals of his own, while multiple teammates including Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and Yegor Sharangovich all recorded multi-point games.
The Flames even benefited from some fortunate bounces, including a peculiar goal from Coronato that deflected high off the glass, bounced off the back of Buffalo's goaltender, and trickled into the net. "It was nice to see the guys score some goals tonight, even a couple that were lucky," Flames head coach Ryan Huska acknowledged after the game. "We haven't seen a lot of those this year."
Cooley Secures First Win with Flames
Between the pipes, backup goaltender Devin Cooley delivered another solid performance and was rewarded with his first victory since joining the Flames organization. Cooley has provided reliable goaltending in each of his starts this season, and his efforts finally translated into a win column entry during Wednesday's offensive showcase.
The victory improved Calgary's record to 6-15-3, though the team remains at the bottom of the overall standings. The win comes at a critical juncture as the Flames prepare to return home to face the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Maloney's Message: 'Not Throwing in the Towel'
In a notable intermission interview with Sportsnet, Flames president of hockey operations Don Maloney addressed the team's difficult start to the season. Maloney described the first quarter as "terribly disappointing" and acknowledged that management had expected this group to compete for a playoff spot.
However, Maloney was clear about the organization's stance moving forward. "But we're not throwing in the towel," he emphasized. "We know we have a lot of work to do. There's three quarters of the season left, and we just have to keep working."
The executive pointed to several positive elements within the organization, including a good veteran group, promising young players, and what he called "a great young goalie, and goaltending tandem." His comments suggested the Flames are leaning toward a retool rather than a full rebuild, though he corrected himself after initially using the term "rebuild" during the interview.
Maloney's public support for the current roster comes at a time when many fans have been calling for significant changes. With 60 games remaining in the regular season, the Flames now face the challenge of building on their explosive performance in Buffalo as they seek to climb out of the NHL basement.
