Flames start the season with overtime loss to Jets

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – What seemed to be a game in the hand quickly turned on the Calgary Flames when they fell to the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime Thursday evening.

Calgary took an early lead in the first period with fan-favourite Matthew Tkachuk notching his first of the season with assists from Andersson and Giordano.

While the Jets would tie it up about three minutes later, back to back goals from Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm game the flames the 3-1 lead going into the second.

Winnipeg wasted no time responding in the second frame.

Thirty-four seconds into the period, Nikolaj Ehlers took a shot from the slot and, while Markstrom made the stop, he couldn’t control the rebound. The puck squirted out to Schiefele who popped it in from the side of the net to make it 3-2.

Whether Ehlers would play Thursday was in doubt until shortly before game time. The 24-year-old left-winger missed practice Wednesday due to COVID-19 protocols.

Winnipeg evened the score before the end of the second period, striking on a two-man advantage.

Calgary was already killing off a too-many-men penalty when Lindholm was called for hooking on Paul Statsny.

Winnipeg’s power play got to work and Laine found Connor, who sent a one-timer past Markstrom to knot the score 3-3.

Laine would eventually score his second of the night early in the overtime period to secure the win for Winnipeg.

Markstrom made his debut for Calgary after signing a six-year, US$36-million deal in free agency and stopped 30-of-34 shots Thursday.

The game was a rematch of last year’s playoff series where the Flames dispatched with the Jets in four games in the qualifying round.

Thursday was the first of nine meetings between the two clubs in the pandemic-condensed 56-game season.

The Flames will host the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, and the Jets are set to visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday.

–With files from The Canadian Press