Calgary Flames lose 5-3 to Anaheim Ducks after blowing a 3-1 first-period lead
Joel Hanley returned to the lineup on short notice, and rookie Zayne Parekh had two first-period assists in a loss the coach blamed on effort after the first period.
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The Calgary Flames led the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 after the first period at the Scotiabank Saddledome, then lost 5-3. Anaheim outshot Calgary 23-10 in the second and third periods, tied the game and won it, and Cutter Gauthier scored the winner with 94 seconds left in regulation. Nikita Nesterenko added an empty-net goal to seal it.
Calgary's first-period scoring came from William Stromgren, who opened the scoring, and Joel Farabee, who made it 3-1 on a cross-ice pass from rookie Zayne Parekh. Parekh had two assists in the period and now has seven points in 17 games this season, after nine points in 37 games as a rookie.
Joel Hanley, a 35-year-old defenceman, returned to the lineup Friday. He scored in the first period, ending a goalless run that began with his last goal on April 5, 2025. Hanley had last played October 3, the Flames' second loss of the regular season, and found out he would play about 15 minutes before puck drop. "All of a sudden I had to go warm-up a little bit harder and activate the glutes a bit," he said.
Head coach Ryan Huska said the call-up was not a surprise to him. "I think because Joel is a pro, he was listed as a warmup guy for tonight, so when you are in warmup, there's a chance, even though the chance might be slim," he said.
Huska was more critical of the rest of the game. He said there were stretches of good play in the final 40 minutes, "but not enough," and that the team had taken its foot off the gas after building its lead.
