Sharangovich’s late goal lifts Flames past Hurricanes 3-2

Updated Oct. 19: Goaltender Devin Cooley, who made 34 saves in his first start since allowing seven goals to Colorado 10 days earlier, told reporters after the game, “Everyone’s panicking about the goalies. Everyone, just chill out. We’re gonna be fine,” The Canadian Press reported. Coach Ryan Huska called him “awesome” and said the Flames’ late second-period stand “was the turning point.”

CALGARY – Yegor Sharangovich scored with about 4½ minutes left in the third period as the Calgary Flames beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on Sunday night, ending the defending Stanley Cup champions’ seven-game winning streak.

Sharangovich fired a one-timer into the top corner from the right-wing circle after Morgan Frost fed him through traffic. The goal broke a 2-2 tie and gave Calgary its first home win of the season at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Devin Cooley made 34 saves for his first win of the season. Brandon Bussi stopped 31 shots for Carolina in the loss.

Frost had a goal and an assist in his 400th NHL game and was named the game’s second star by the NHL. Matvei Gridin scored his first goal of the season for the Flames, and Matt Coronato had an assist in his 200th NHL game.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi opened the scoring 6:09 into the second period for Carolina, with assists from Nicolas Deslauriers and Eric Robinson. Gridin tied it at 18:30 when Coronato set him up in the high slot and he beat Bussi high to the glove side.

Calgary took the lead 69 seconds later. Frost scored on the power play at 19:39 with help from Zayne Parekh and Joel Farabee. It was his second power-play goal of the season, and Calgary went 1 for 4 with the man advantage.

Carolina answered 17 seconds after that. Jalen Chatfield tied it 2-2 at 19:56 on a goal assisted by Jaccob Slavin and Sebastian Aho, sending the teams to the second intermission level.

The Flames had been 0-5 this season when allowing the game’s first goal, while the Hurricanes were 5-0 when scoring first. Carolina was without forward Mark Jankowski, who sat out with a lower-body injury, the Canadian Press reported.

Cooley stopped 34 of 36 shots, while Bussi faced 34 from the Flames, according to the NHL’s official game data.

The win moved Calgary to 2-6-0 and was its first at home in four tries. Carolina fell to 7-2-1.

“You learn so much when you get lit up,” Cooley said, crediting work with goaltending coach Jason LaBarbera after the loss to Colorado. “I took a lot of lessons from the Colorado loss and I used them tonight.” The rebuilding Flames entered the night last in the NHL’s overall standings, The Canadian Press reported.

The Hurricanes visit the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. The Flames host the Minnesota Wild on Thursday at 7 p.m. MT, the second game of a four-game homestand.

Calgary had dropped a 6-2 decision to Vegas earlier in the week, a game in which Stone’s hat trick lifted the Golden Knights past the Flames. Before that, Pospisil’s late goal had lifted the Flames past the Ducks. Carolina’s winning streak had reached seven on Saturday, when Ehlers scored a power-play goal in a 3-2 win over the Jets.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.

Via NHL.com, The Canadian Press and paNOW.