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Flames Pick Up First Preseason Win Against Canucks
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- Flames Pick Up First Preseason Win Against Canucks
The Calgary Flames picked up their first win of the preseason Tuesday night, skating to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
It was a dominant night territorially for the Flames, who finished with a 31-10 advantage in shots and controlled most of the game after a scoreless opening period.
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Dustin Wolf made his first preseason appearance and stopped nine of the 10 shots he faced to earn the win.
Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The Flames had some early chances but couldn't solve Vancouver goaltender Kevin Lankinen in the opening 20 minutes. Calgary held an 8-4 edge in shots after one period, but the game remained scoreless.
That changed in the second.
Calgary came out flying and continued to pile pressure on the Canucks, eventually breaking through on the power play at the 15-minute mark.
Zayne Parekh started the play with a long stretch pass that found Matvei Gridin entering the offensive zone. Gridin quickly recognized Joel Farabee cutting toward the net and put the puck on his stick. Farabee got a quick shot away that appeared to handcuff Lankinen, giving Calgary its first lead of the night.
Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Just 2:30 later, Matt Coronato doubled the advantage.
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Morgan Frost found Coronato near the top of the circle, and he wasted little time getting his shot off. He picked the top corner with a clean release to make it 2-0, with Gridin picking up his second assist of the night.
The Flames weren't finished.
At 18:58, Parekh drove toward the net and tried to finish on his backhand. Lankinen made the initial stop, but the rebound landed right on the stick of Sam Honzek , who made no mistake from close range.
Three goals in less than four minutes turned a scoreless game into a 3-0 Flames lead heading into the third.
Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The Canucks finally got on the board at 6:22 of the final period when Arshdeep Bains took a pass from Brayden Cootes in front and fired a wrist shot past Wolf.
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That was as close as Vancouver would get.
The Flames closed things out to pick up their first win of the preseason.
Three Takeaways
1. Parekh looks comfortable running the power play
Zayne Parekh was one of the most noticeable players on the ice.
With the 20-year-old quarterbacking the top power-play unit, there was plenty of movement and creativity from the back end. Parekh was elusive with the puck, made several plays that drew a reaction from the Saddledome crowd and consistently looked to push the pace.
His first-period end-to-end rush was another example of his skating ability, and his stretch pass on the Farabee goal showed the offensive instincts that make him such an intriguing young defenceman.
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Parekh finished the night with two assists and looked comfortable in a prominent role.
2. Gridin continues to show his playmaking ability
Matvei Gridin had another strong showing.
His two assists came on Calgary's first two goals, but it was his overall puck movement that stood out. Gridin was making plays with purpose, moving the puck quickly and showing good awareness when opportunities opened up.
He continues to look like a player who can create offence without forcing the play.
3. Honzek gets an important confidence boost
Sam Honzek's first preseason goal was a nice reward for a solid night.
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Playing alongside Mikael Backlund , Honzek showed good pace and was involved at both ends of the ice. His goal came from simply staying around the net and being ready for the rebound, but there was plenty to like about his overall game.
After missing almost all of last season because of an upper-body injury, getting back into game action is important for Honzek.
So far, he looks strong, fast and confident.
And that's a good place to start.
