Sharangovich, Zary Play Hero as Calgary Flames Top Lightning

Playing their eighth game sixteen days into December and still looking for their second win, the Calgary Flames knew they would have their hands full in taking on a Tampa Bay Lightning team that had scored five third period goals just two nights before in Edmonton. With two early third period goals, it appeared the Lightning may once again rally for a road win over an Alberta team. It took a heroic solo effort from rookie Connor Zary to finally put the game out of reach.  

Scoring was kicked off 2:20 into the second period when fourth liner AJ Greer pounced on a loose puck and fired a quick wrist shot that clipped Tampa defenceman Erik Cernak’s stick and eluded goaltender Andrei Vasilevski’s glove. 

3:47 later, MacKenzie Weegar wheeled the puck along the Flames blue line and rocketed a slap shot below Vasilevski’s blocker. Blake Coleman picked up a secondary assist after driving the net and laying it back to Andrew Mangiapane, who found Weegar at the point. 

The Flames weren’t done. Forty-three seconds later, the suddenly hot Yegor Sharangovich found the back of the net on a scorching slapper from the top of the left circle. Eventually counting as the game-winner, the goal was Sharangovich’s sixth in five games. 

Jump to the third period. Tampa made it clear that they would not be going gently into that good night. After an extended sequence of furious forechecking, Nikita Kucherov zipped a pass up to a breaking Brayden Point, who snapped the puck past Vladar’s glove.  

A minute and 30 seconds after that, Steven Stamkos received an awkward pass on the power play and put a wobbling wrist shot into the top corner of Vladar’s blocker side.  

With a potential three-goal collapse lurking and the Flames bench starting to slow down, rookie sniper Connor Zary played the hero, breaking down the left side of the offensive zone on his own. Despite being hounded with pressure by Lightning defenceman Mikhail Sergachev, Zary managed to squeeze a snap shot between Vasilevski and the left post.  

Despite a valiant empty net push that required a five-star glove save by Daniel Vladar, Tampa couldn’t manage to get the game back within one. The Flames recorded their first win in five games and now await a visit from Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers on Monday.