The Calgary Flames wasted no time shaking off the Olympic break rust, storming back to defeat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 on Thursday night at SAP Center. With a rare weeknight sellout crowd of 17,435 looking for a spark in the Sharks’ playoff push, the Flames turned a one-goal deficit into a convincing win, powered by a two-goal effort from Nazem Kadri and a standout performance in net by local product Dustin Wolf.
It was a night of high energy and emotional moments, as both teams stepped onto the ice for their first NHL game since the Olympic hiatus. The Sharks honored their four Olympians during the first period, with the loudest ovation reserved for Macklin Celebrini, the 19-year-old phenom who led Canada to a silver medal in Milan. But despite the buzz in the building, the Sharks could not reverse their fortunes, falling to their fifth straight defeat—a streak that’s threatening to derail their playoff ambitions.
The opening period saw the Sharks come out with purpose, peppering Wolf with 17 shots on goal and controlling play for long stretches. Yet, as has been the case too often during their recent skid, San Jose’s early dominance failed to yield a lead. Wolf, a Gilroy native who grew up cheering for the Sharks, stood tall, denying William Eklund on a shorthanded breakaway and turning aside several other high-danger chances. "Big Wolf save on Eklund SH breakaway," one observer noted, capturing the tone of the first period.
Momentum finally swung San Jose’s way just 77 seconds into the second period. Tyler Toffoli, one of the Sharks’ most reliable finishers, redirected Mario Ferraro’s point shot past Wolf to put the home team ahead 1-0. The SAP Center erupted, sensing a much-needed turnaround. "The way we scored the goal is the way we need to play," Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky commented after the game, emphasizing the importance of getting inside and creating traffic in front of the net.
But the Flames were not rattled. Calgary weathered the Sharks’ pressure and gradually clawed their way back. Kadri tied the game at 15:02 of the second period, finishing a slick feed from Joel Farabee with a top-shelf strike from the slot. The goal seemed to sap some of the Sharks’ energy, and as the teams headed to the third period tied, it was clear that the next goal would be pivotal.
Early in the third, the Flames seized control. Connor Zary, capitalizing on a poor line change by San Jose, found himself in the high slot and rifled a shot past Yaroslav Askarov at 5:22 to give Calgary a 2-1 lead. The SAP Center crowd fell silent, sensing the momentum shift. Zary’s goal was a textbook example of transition hockey—quick, opportunistic, and ruthless.
The Sharks tried to respond, but their execution continued to falter. At 11:56 of the third, a costly turnover by Timothy Liljegren in his own zone handed Kadri the puck in prime scoring position. Kadri made no mistake, deking around Askarov for his second goal of the night and giving the Flames a 3-1 cushion. "Just overall a bad play. I was trying to make a quick play up the weak side, but I had time to skate the puck, and could have made a way better play," Liljegren admitted postgame, taking responsibility for the error.
With time winding down, the Sharks pulled Askarov for an extra attacker, desperate to spark a comeback. Instead, Mikael Backlund capitalized on a turnover and slid the puck into the empty net with 2:30 remaining, sealing the Flames’ victory and sending many in the sellout crowd to the exits.
The night was a microcosm of the Sharks’ recent struggles. Despite outshooting Calgary 35-29 and enjoying long stretches of offensive zone time, San Jose’s inability to finish and costly defensive lapses proved their undoing. The loss dropped the Sharks to 27-25-4 on the season and extended their losing streak to five games, their longest since they opened the campaign 0-4-2. Even more concerning, the team remains five points adrift of the Seattle Kraken for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, with just 26 games left to play.
For the Flames, the win marked their second straight and ninth in their last ten meetings with San Jose. Calgary improved to 24-27-6 and opened a crucial three-game California road trip on a high note. Kadri’s two-goal performance was the headliner, but the supporting cast delivered as well—Zary and Backlund each chipped in a goal and an assist, while Farabee’s slick pass set up Kadri’s tying tally in the second. The Flames’ offense has been a reliable barometer for their success; impressively, they have now won 50 consecutive games when scoring four or more goals.
In goal, Wolf continued his mastery over his boyhood team. The 22-year-old netminder improved to 10-2 against San Jose in his career, making 34 saves—including 16 in a frantic third period that saw the Sharks press for an equalizer. "Wolf made 34 saves for Calgary, which has won nine of 10 games against the Sharks," as one report put it. His poise under pressure and ability to make timely stops have become a hallmark of his young career.
Meanwhile, the Sharks’ power play units saw heavy rotation, with Klingberg, Celebrini, Smith, Sherwood, and Wennberg on the top unit, and Orlov, Misa, Eklund, Kurashev, and Toffoli forming the second group. Despite several opportunities, San Jose’s special teams couldn’t find the breakthrough.
The homecoming for the Olympians added a poignant subplot to the night. Celebrini, who dazzled at the Olympics with five goals and five assists in five games for Team Canada, was held off the scoresheet, continuing a troubling trend for San Jose: the Sharks are now 1-12-2 this season when Celebrini fails to record a point. "We didn’t win, so it’s bitter," Celebrini reflected on his Olympic experience. "It’s sour that we didn’t win and we came that close, especially everything that we fought through. But (we) can’t change it now."
Looking ahead, the schedule offers no respite for the Sharks, who host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday and the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. With the playoff race tightening and their margin for error shrinking, San Jose will need to find answers—and fast—if they hope to end their six-year postseason drought.
For Calgary, the road trip continues with a visit to Los Angeles on Saturday. If the Flames can maintain the form and resilience they showed in San Jose, the playoff conversation may not be over just yet.