Ex-Panther scores twice as Calgary salvages road trip finale and ends three-game slide in defensive grind
PHILADELPHIA — Jonathan Huberdeau needed this one. The Calgary Flames needed this one. And on a sluggish Sunday night where exhaustion hung over Xfinity Mobile Arena like fog, Huberdeau delivered precisely when his team needed him most—twice.
The veteran winger netted both goals as the Flames edged the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1, salvaging the finale of a brutal four-game road trip and snapping a three-game losing streak that had Calgary staring down the barrel of complete implosion. With both teams playing their fourth game in six nights, Huberdeau’s goals at 2:15 of the second and 7:06 of the third proved to be the difference in a game that lacked offensive fireworks but delivered in tension. Calgary (3-9-2) finally exhaled. Philadelphia (6-5-1) dropped its second straight.
The Turning Point
The moment came not with Huberdeau’s goals but with what happened immediately after them—specifically, midway through the third period when the Flames’ season could have unraveled completely.
Dustin Wolf collided with teammate Nazem Kadri, leaving the Calgary net vulnerable and the Flyers smelling blood. For six seconds—an eternity in hockey time—MacKenzie Weegar transformed into a one-man defensive bunker, throwing his body in front of three separate Flyers shots.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Three blocked shots. Six seconds. One message: Not tonight.
“It’s a little chaotic when plays are hopping like that,” Weegar said afterward. “I think that gets me into the game. That’s part of my game, part of the leadership that we talk about here, is blocking shots at the right time, putting your body on the line for the group. It was fun. I enjoy that kind of stuff.”
Fun might not be the word most would use for willingly absorbing frozen rubber missiles. But Weegar’s sequence epitomized what the Flames desperately needed—someone willing to sacrifice everything to preserve a fragile lead. It worked. The Flames held on, even after Travis Konecny pulled Philadelphia within 2-1 at 14:20, and even after the Flyers pulled their goalie in the final two minutes.
How It Unfolded
First Period: Scoreless, Low Event
This was hockey played in molasses. Both teams were operating on fumes—their fourth game in six nights—and it showed. The period felt like two heavyweight boxers circling each other, too tired to throw punches. Calgary managed just six shots. Philadelphia countered with seven. The game begged for a spark.
Second Period: Huberdeau Breaks Through
The spark came 2:15 into the second when Huberdeau snapped a wrist shot from the left circle through a perfectly timed Yegor Sharangovich screen, the puck sailing over Aleksei Kolosov’s right shoulder. Finally, life. The goal was Huberdeau’s third of the season, but more importantly, it was the confidence injection Calgary desperately needed.
The period remained low-event—13 combined shots again—but now Calgary had something to protect. Dustin Wolf, making his second consecutive start (the only NHL goalie to do so this season), looked sharp after being yanked the night before in Nashville.
Third Period: Insurance and Survival
Huberdeau struck again at 7:06, deflecting MacKenzie Weegar’s point shot past Kolosov to make it 2-0. The building exhaled. Surely Calgary could hold a two-goal lead, right?
Then came Weegar’s heroic blocking sequence. Then Wolf’s collision with Kadri. Then, inevitably, Konecny’s goal off a Noah Cates faceoff win at 14:20. The Flyers’ best player went low blocker side on Wolf, and suddenly it was a one-goal game with five and a half minutes remaining.
The Flyers pressed. They pulled Kolosov with 1:47 left. But Calgary’s exhausted defense held firm. Wolf made a glove save on Sean Couturier with 1:10 remaining, the final threatening chance. The Flames had survived.
Player Spotlight: Jonathan Huberdeau
This was the Jonathan Huberdeau that Calgary thought they were getting when they acquired him—the playmaker, the finisher, the veteran who shows up when the calendar turns ugly.
The Numbers: 2 goals on 2 shots, plus-2 rating, 18:27 ice time
The Context: Huberdeau now has six points (three goals, three assists) during a five-game point streak, and an absurd 10 points in his last five games against the Flyers specifically. Something about playing Philadelphia brings out the best in him.
“We kind of sifted it on net and just had to put a stick on it, and obviously it went through,” Huberdeau said with typical modesty. “Fortunate I got a couple goals tonight, but I’ve got to keep going, keep working.”
For a player often criticized for inconsistency since joining Calgary, nights like this remind everyone why he was once a 100-point player in Florida. The wrist shot on his first goal was pure confidence—no hesitation, just release. The deflection on his second showed veteran positioning and hand-eye coordination.
What We Learned
About Calgary: This team desperately needed proof that they could win a tight, defensive battle. At 2-9-2 entering the night, the Flames were drowning in blown leads and bad luck. Dustin Wolf made 17 saves to pick up his third win of the season, bouncing back admirably after being pulled Saturday in Nashville. The defense, led by Weegar’s heroics, showed genuine backbone. But let’s not get carried away—this is still a team in serious trouble, sitting at 3-9-2. One win doesn’t erase a disastrous start.
About Philadelphia: The loss ended a potential response to Saturday’s 5-2 drubbing by Toronto, and the offensive struggles are becoming concerning. The Flyers managed just 18 shots on goal and struggled to generate quality chances until desperation time. Trevor Zegras’s eight-game home point streak was snapped—tied for the longest franchise streak to start a tenure with the team alongside Peter Forsberg and Peter Zezel. More worryingly, they’re without Tyson Foerster (lower-body injury) for “the next few games” after he blocked a shot with his skate Saturday.
Key Stat: Philadelphia’s penalty kill went 2-for-2 and is now 18-for-18 over the last six games—a 100% kill rate that’s kept them competitive despite offensive struggles. That dominance on special teams is carrying this team.
The Quote That Matters
“It was great work ethic tonight. I thought the guys were committed to playing the right way. That’s our standard here. That’s Flames hockey… I just thought it was an overall great game from everybody, from top to bottom.” — MacKenzie Weegar
After blocks upon blocks, Weegar earned the right to define what Flames hockey should look like. The question is whether Calgary can sustain this defensive identity or if Sunday was just a brief reprieve from the chaos.
What’s Next
Calgary Flames (3-9-2) return home Wednesday to host the Columbus Blue Jackets, hoping to build on this defensive performance and finally get some momentum. Can they win consecutive games for the first time this season?
Philadelphia Flyers (6-5-1) begin a two-game road trip Tuesday in Montreal against the Canadiens. They’ll need to rediscover their offensive touch after managing just three goals in their last two games combined.
By The Numbers
Final Score: Calgary 2, Philadelphia 1
Shots on Goal: CGY 21, PHI 18
Power Play: CGY 0-2, PHI 0-1
Faceoffs Won: CGY 30, PHI 27
Faceoff Win %: CGY 52.6%, PHI 47.4%
Blocked Shots: CGY 18, PHI 17
Hits: CGY 25, PHI 21
Penalty Minutes: CGY 2, PHI 4
Goaltending:
- Dustin Wolf (CGY): 17 saves on 18 shots (.944 SV%)
- Aleksei Kolosov (PHI): 19 saves on 21 shots (.905 SV%)
Three Stars
- Jonathan Huberdeau, CGY – Two goals, game-winner, extended point streak
- Dustin Wolf, CGY – 17 saves, .944 SV%, bounced back from being pulled previous game
- Travis Konecny, PHI – Lone goal for Flyers, 3 shots on goal, kept Philadelphia in it late
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