<p><em class="text-lg italic">Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!</em></p>
<p>The Calgary Flames out-shot the Dallas Stars handily on Thursday night at the Saddledome. But the Stars were equal parts opportunistic and tactical with their offensive attacks in this game. The Flames carried play, but the Stars pounced on every defensive lapse the Flames made at key moments.</p>
<p>Dallas beat the Flames by a 5-2 score to snap the Flames&#8217; winning streak at four games.</p>
<h1>The rundown</h1>
<p>The Flames looked really fast and sharp early in this game, and the Stars looked like a team that barely held on to beat Edmonton the night before. The Flames had a ton of zone time and good offensive looks.</p>
<p>But just shy of midway through the period, Dallas woke up and opened the scoring.</p>
<p>About seven minutes into the period, the Stars&#8217; Thomas Harley carried the puck into the offensive zone as the Flames changed up some of their forwards. Harley handed the puck off and circled back to the neutral zone, but additional Stars entered the zone as the Flames tried to figure out defensive coverage. Amidst this confusion, Mikko Rantanen passed to Roope Hintz (who had crept between Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl) and he fired the puck past Dustin Wolf to make it 1-0 Stars.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="sv" dir="ltr">1-0 Dallas. </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TexasHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TexasHockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/7IkJRNZH3X">pic.twitter.com/7IkJRNZH3X</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905429228570771943?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The Flames nearly tied the game up, as a pass from Nazem Kadri to Connor Zary went in off Zary&#8217;s skate. But after a Situation Room review, it was judged to have been directed in with a distinct kicking motion and was disallowed.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥FLAMES GOAL🔥</p>
<p>The puck goes off Connor Zary&#39;s skate and in! </p>
<p>But this goal is under review. </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TexasHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TexasHockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/TKnWXDRw5q">pic.twitter.com/TKnWXDRw5q</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905433149376790608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>First period shots were 13-11 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 9-7 Flames (high-danger chances were 6-3 Flames).</p>
<p>The Flames almost tied the game again early in the second period. With Joel Farabee battling out front, Mikael Backlund fed Blake Coleman in the slot and he fired the puck past Casey DeSmith to make it 1-1. But this goal was challenged for goalie interference, and it was decided after the review that Farabee had made incidental contact in the crease with DeSmith before Coleman&#8217;s shot, so the goal was disallowed.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥FLAMES GOAL🔥</p>
<p>Blake Coleman ties this game with a perfect shot! </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TexasHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TexasHockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/aqi4KWiNFa">pic.twitter.com/aqi4KWiNFa</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905444004181016966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Midway through the second, the Flames managed to score – and this one wasn&#8217;t called back, despite Martin Pospisil battling around the crease with a couple Stars defenders. Kadri had the puck behind the net, opted to hold onto the puck and circled out front and flung the puck over DeSmith&#8217;s shoulder to tie the game at 1-1.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥FLAMES GOAL🔥</p>
<p>SHOWTIME! That&#39;s five straight games with a goal for Nazem Kadri!</p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/d14T67mm8S">pic.twitter.com/d14T67mm8S</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905445843269980380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kadri mocking the refs 😂 &quot;Was that a goal?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/2dGtnLHS5q">pic.twitter.com/2dGtnLHS5q</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905447531741651377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>But the Stars drove back after that. Wyatt Johnston scored on a great individual effort, absolutely blowing by Daniil Miromanov beside the Flames net and getting a shot on Wolf. Wolf made a nice save, but then Johnston beat Jake Bean to the loose rebound and fired the puck over top of Wolf to make it 2-1 Stars.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Wyatt Johnston makes Daniil Miromanov and Jake Bean look silly. What a goal. </p>
<p>2-1 Stars. </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/dKCl2yHQOM">pic.twitter.com/dKCl2yHQOM</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905448262800474137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>1:16 later, Dallas scored again. This time, the Flames defenders got bunched up along the wall defending a Stars rush into the zone. Mason Marchment gathered the puck and fed Mikael Granlund in front of the net, and he fired the puck past Wolf to make it 3-1 Stars.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">That&#39;s two goals in 1:16 for the Stars. </p>
<p>3-1 Dallas. </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/wBLHOtJ5hq">pic.twitter.com/wBLHOtJ5hq</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905448697556873546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Second period shots were 18-5 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 14-13 Flames (high-danger chances were 6-5 Stars).</p>
<p>Early in the third period, on a power play carried over from the second period, the Flames inched closer. Kadri made a nice shot from just past the face-off dot to DeSmith&#8217;s left, and the shot seemed to fool the Stars netminder to cut their lead to 3-2. (Kadri was moving backwards when he shot and DeSmith was at the edge of his crease, so perhaps he lost the net?)</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🔥FLAMES GOAL🔥</p>
<p>Nazem Kadri scores his 30th goal of the season! Another big goal for #91! </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flames?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flames</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TexasHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TexasHockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/ujJ9iPlek8">pic.twitter.com/ujJ9iPlek8</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905456239603245283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Midway through the third period, though, the Flames lost Connor Zary to an injury as Rantanen lost an edge along the boards and slid into Zary from behind, causing him to fall backwards (and his left leg to fold under him). You don&#8217;t really need to see any clips of the incident: it wasn&#8217;t particularly dirty or predatory, just a terrible accident.</p>
<p>The Flames pressed for basically the entire third period. But Rantanen scored on their second shot of the period, as Wolf made the initial stop on Hintz but Rantanen buried the rebound. That made it a 4-2 game.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="sv" dir="ltr">Mikko Rantanen puts Dallas up 4-2. </p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | NHL <a href="https://t.co/1z9jqS17cb">pic.twitter.com/1z9jqS17cb</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905462661103714566?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Dallas added an empty-netter from Duchene to make it 5-2 Stars.</p>
<p>Third period shots were 17-4 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 22-5 Flames (high-danger chances were 8-3 Flames).</p>
<h1>Why the Flames lost</h1>
<p>The Flames did a great job generating chances and really carried play well. But their defensive details at key moments were pretty rough. Look at Dallas&#8217; first four goals: there are pretty big lapses in coverage on each of those goals that allowed Dallas some great high-quality chances. And they&#8217;re a really talented group that tends to take advantage of those chances.</p>
<h1>Red Warrior</h1>
<p>Let&#8217;s give it to Kadri, who scored twice.</p>
<h1>Turning point</h1>
<p>The Flames tied this game in the second period, then allowed two goals over the span of 1:16. That was that.</p>
<h1>This and that</h1>
<p>Mikael Backlund returned to the Flames lineup after missing six games. Yegor Sharangovich was bumped to the press box as a consequence.</p>
<p>This was the 12th and final game the Flames will wear their black (Blasty) alternate jersey. They&#8217;re 7-5-0 this season in black.</p>
<h1>Up next</h1>
<p>The Flames (34-26-11) are headed back on the road. They visit the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place for the season&#8217;s final Battle of Alberta on Saturday night.</p>
<h1>This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi</h1>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-138031" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Platinum-Mitsubishi-NDS-Screen-Res-1.png" alt="" width="414" height="140" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Platinum-Mitsubishi-NDS-Screen-Res-1.png 414w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Platinum-Mitsubishi-NDS-Screen-Res-1-300x101.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 414px) 100vw, 414px" /></p>
<p>This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at <a href="http://www.mitsu.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsu.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737766788077000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IDdhb5Us0lSTEz-MS7q_U">www.mitsu.ca</a></p>


<em class="text-lg italic">Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!</em>

The Calgary Flames out-shot the Dallas Stars handily on Thursday night at the Saddledome. But the Stars were equal parts opportunistic and tactical with their offensive attacks in this game. The Flames carried play, but the Stars pounced on every defensive lapse the Flames made at key moments.

Dallas beat the Flames by a 5-2 score to snap the Flames' winning streak at four games.
<h1>The rundown</h1>
The Flames looked really fast and sharp early in this game, and the Stars looked like a team that barely held on to beat Edmonton the night before. The Flames had a ton of zone time and good offensive looks.

But just shy of midway through the period, Dallas woke up and opened the scoring.

About seven minutes into the period, the Stars' Thomas Harley carried the puck into the offensive zone as the Flames changed up some of their forwards. Harley handed the puck off and circled back to the neutral zone, but additional Stars entered the zone as the Flames tried to figure out defensive coverage. Amidst this confusion, Mikko Rantanen passed to Roope Hintz (who had crept between Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl) and he fired the puck past Dustin Wolf to make it 1-0 Stars.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905429228570771943

The Flames nearly tied the game up, as a pass from Nazem Kadri to Connor Zary went in off Zary's skate. But after a Situation Room review, it was judged to have been directed in with a distinct kicking motion and was disallowed.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905433149376790608

First period shots were 13-11 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, five-on-five scoring chances were 9-7 Flames (high-danger chances were 6-3 Flames).

The Flames almost tied the game again early in the second period. With Joel Farabee battling out front, Mikael Backlund fed Blake Coleman in the slot and he fired the puck past Casey DeSmith to make it 1-1. But this goal was challenged for goalie interference, and it was decided after the review that Farabee had made incidental contact in the crease with DeSmith before Coleman's shot, so the goal was disallowed.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905444004181016966

Midway through the second, the Flames managed to score – and this one wasn't called back, despite Martin Pospisil battling around the crease with a couple Stars defenders. Kadri had the puck behind the net, opted to hold onto the puck and circled out front and flung the puck over DeSmith's shoulder to tie the game at 1-1.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905445843269980380

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905447531741651377

But the Stars drove back after that. Wyatt Johnston scored on a great individual effort, absolutely blowing by Daniil Miromanov beside the Flames net and getting a shot on Wolf. Wolf made a nice save, but then Johnston beat Jake Bean to the loose rebound and fired the puck over top of Wolf to make it 2-1 Stars.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905448262800474137

1:16 later, Dallas scored again. This time, the Flames defenders got bunched up along the wall defending a Stars rush into the zone. Mason Marchment gathered the puck and fed Mikael Granlund in front of the net, and he fired the puck past Wolf to make it 3-1 Stars.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905448697556873546

Second period shots were 18-5 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 14-13 Flames (high-danger chances were 6-5 Stars).

Early in the third period, on a power play carried over from the second period, the Flames inched closer. Kadri made a nice shot from just past the face-off dot to DeSmith's left, and the shot seemed to fool the Stars netminder to cut their lead to 3-2. (Kadri was moving backwards when he shot and DeSmith was at the edge of his crease, so perhaps he lost the net?)

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905456239603245283

Midway through the third period, though, the Flames lost Connor Zary to an injury as Rantanen lost an edge along the boards and slid into Zary from behind, causing him to fall backwards (and his left leg to fold under him). You don't really need to see any clips of the incident: it wasn't particularly dirty or predatory, just a terrible accident.

The Flames pressed for basically the entire third period. But Rantanen scored on their second shot of the period, as Wolf made the initial stop on Hintz but Rantanen buried the rebound. That made it a 4-2 game.

https://twitter.com/RingOfFireCGY/status/1905462661103714566

Dallas added an empty-netter from Duchene to make it 5-2 Stars.

Third period shots were 17-4 Flames. Five-on-five scoring chances were 22-5 Flames (high-danger chances were 8-3 Flames).
<h1>Why the Flames lost</h1>
The Flames did a great job generating chances and really carried play well. But their defensive details at key moments were pretty rough. Look at Dallas' first four goals: there are pretty big lapses in coverage on each of those goals that allowed Dallas some great high-quality chances. And they're a really talented group that tends to take advantage of those chances.
<h1>Red Warrior</h1>
Let's give it to Kadri, who scored twice.
<h1>Turning point</h1>
The Flames tied this game in the second period, then allowed two goals over the span of 1:16. That was that.
<h1>This and that</h1>
Mikael Backlund returned to the Flames lineup after missing six games. Yegor Sharangovich was bumped to the press box as a consequence.

This was the 12th and final game the Flames will wear their black (Blasty) alternate jersey. They're 7-5-0 this season in black.
<h1>Up next</h1>
The Flames (34-26-11) are headed back on the road. They visit the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place for the season's final Battle of Alberta on Saturday night.
<h1>This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi</h1>
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-138031" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Platinum-Mitsubishi-NDS-Screen-Res-1.png" alt="" width="414" height="140" />

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at <a href="http://www.mitsu.ca" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsu.ca&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737766788077000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1IDdhb5Us0lSTEz-MS7q_U">www.mitsu.ca</a>

Instant Reaction: Stars take advantage of defensive lapses, snap Flames winning streak

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