The Calgary Flames closed out their final road game before the Olympic break falling 4–1 to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night at Grand Casino Arena.

It marked Calgary’s fifth consecutive loss and continued a frustrating January stretch where effort hasn’t translated into results. Devin Cooley (6-6-3) got the start for the Flames, but early breakdowns and missed chances proved costly once again.

The game began with edge and intensity, but Minnesota struck first — and fast. Just 2:43 into the opening period, the Wild scored on their first shot of the game. Vladimir Tarasenko slipped a slick backhand feed from the corner to Danila Yurov, who buried his eighth of the season to make it 1–0.

Moments later, the tone turned physical. Adam Klapka dropped the gloves with Marcus Foligno in a spirited fight, injecting energy into the Flames bench.

Calgary controlled much of the first period territorially, outshooting Minnesota 8–2 midway through the frame, but the Wild doubled their lead despite the pressure. Vinnie Hinostroza gloved down a puck at the blue line, stayed onside, broke in alone, and fired a shot that hit the post, bounced off Cooley, and ended up in the net for a 2–0 Minnesota lead.

The Flames finally broke through in the third period — and it started from their goaltender. Cooley made a blocker save that kicked out to Jonathan Huberdeau, who quickly spotted Morgan Frost in stride. Frost drove the net and snapped a wrist shot past Filip Gustavsson to cut the deficit to 2–1, marking Calgary’s first goal in Minnesota since last January.

Any momentum was short-lived. With 2:43 remaining, following the expiration of a 5-on-3 advantage, the Wild stayed on the attack. Kirill Kaprizov found Matt Boldy with a quick pass, and Boldy chipped a shot over Cooley and under the bar to restore the two-goal cushion.

Kaprizov sealed it moments later with an empty-net goal, putting the game out of reach and closing the scoring at 4–1.

Three Takeaways

1. Strong starts, familiar results

Calgary outshot Minnesota 21–8 through two periods but found itself trailing 2–0 after allowing two goals on just five shots. It’s been a recurring theme: the Flames generate energy, possession, and chances, yet struggle to convert — while opponents capitalize on limited opportunities.

2. Weegar continues to sacrifice

Mackenzie Weegar blocked six shots on the night, including three in the third period, finishing one shy of his career high. While his overall season hasn’t matched his usual standard, his willingness to battle, block shots, and compete remains as a positive. 

3. One goal isn’t enough — again

Another one-goal performance ended in another loss. The Flames have now dropped seven games in January when scoring just once and have lost five straight overall.