Flames Takeaways: Coronato, Wolf do heavy lifting in OT win over Canadiens

You get the feeling this is the turning point, the juncture in Matt Coronato’s career that sees him put his minor league days behind him for good.

Eleven days after being sent down for his latest AHL stint, he returned to score two clutch, world-class goals on hockey’s grandest of stages to give the Calgary Flames a dramatic comeback win in Montreal on Tuesday.

Equally encouraging for Flames brass is the fact a good chunk of the heavy lifting on the night came on the backs of a trio of lads who represent the future of the organization: Dustin Wolf, Connor Zary and Coronato.

More on the other two in a bit, as Coronato earned top billing with a real goal scorer’s goal to tie the game 2-2 with three minutes left.   

Given the perfect opportunity to succeed by being placed on a line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, Coronato grabbed a loose puck in the high slot, spun one way to avoid a defender, retreated and spun the other way before driving back toward the middle of the ice where he unleashed a shot that rang in off the post.

Rewarded for his efforts at both sides of the ice all night, Coronato started in overtime, collected the puck off the draw, raced into the Montreal zone on the left side and sniped home his first overtime goal seven seconds in, top shelf with no chance for Sam Montembault to stop it. Coronato's winner was the second-fastest OT goal in NHL history and the fastest in Flames history.

“Colesly won a battle down below the goal lines, kinda stuffed it in front, I picked up the puck, and had a little bit of space, and I was able to get a shot off and I think it had a little bit of eyes,” a modest Coronato said on the Sportsnet broadcast before admitting he has indeed been re-building the type of confidence that made him a first-round pick.

“I think it’s something that maybe comes each and every day, more and more, but I think it all comes back to playing with Backs and Coles, they really do make it easy.”
After splitting time in the minors last year and being sent down recently this year, the 21-year-old Harvard star scored twice with the Wranglers to earn a recall he made good on.

“That’s the scouting report on him, his shot is lethal,” said Wolf of a teammate who has worked tirelessly on his defensive and wall game.

“To see him get rewarded, and the team as well, that feels good to get the road trip started.”

The only other goal scorer in the 3-2 win came courtesy of Connor Zary, whose first in ten games opened the scoring four minutes into the second period of a highly entertaining game.

WOLF & THE VIDEO STAR 

The comeback wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the keen eye of Flames video coach Jamie Pringle, who prompted Huska to challenge a Brendan Gallagher goal that appeared to put the hosts up 3-1 with eight minutes left.

The review showed Josh Anderson backing into the zone without control of the puck, overturning the goal.

“Vladdy (Dan Vladar) owed him one before and now I owe him,” said Wolf, referring to Pringle’s two gutsy challenges that helped a Flames comeback win in Edmonton earlier in the season. 

“I was just saying, ‘a post is normally a goalie’s best friend, but I think the video coach is now no. 2.’”

Wolf had the help of several posts, on a night in which 15 of his 21 saves came in a first period when things could have gotten out of hand.

He made huge stops on Lane Hutson, Christian Dvorak, two on Juraj Slafkovsky and a stellar stop on Cole Caufield to keep the opening frame scoreless.

If not for Coronato’s heroics, Wolf would have been the game’s first star, beaten only by a shorthanded two-on-one and a power-play finish by Gallagher that saw the veteran left alone in front.  

MANTHA INJURED

With his father and four-time Stanley Cup-winning grandfather, Andre Pronovost, watching live, Anthony Mantha left the game after being stopped on a late first-period breakaway.

Mantha was hit right after the chance and appeared to have his right knee pinned on the boards. Early in the second, the Flames confirmed the big right winger wouldn’t return, likely opening the door for another call-up from the farm.

The list of those in line for a promotion is a long one, as the red-hot Wranglers have a handful of stars knocking at the door.

Twenty-two-year-old Rory Kerins has nine goals and 11 points in 10 games and will surely be rewarded with a look at some point. Alas, he is a centre.

Walker Duehr (6 goals, 5 assists) is a natural right winger who could play on the fourth line, but that gig is likely reserved for Adam Klapka who has only played one AHL since his recent demotion.

Dryden Hunt (2-8) and Jakob Pelletier (0-10) will also be discussed, as will recently-named captain Clark Bishop, who has four-straight game-winning goals as part of his six-goal start.

Much will depend on whether the coach would like to continue trying to send a message to Martin Pospisil that he needs to be more disciplined by keeping him on the fourth line, as he did Tuesday.

The likeliest outcome will see Pospisil take Mantha’s perch in the top six and see Klapka recalled. That’s assuming Mantha will miss any time on a roadie that takes the Flames through Boston Thursday and Buffalo Sunday.  

THE LINES:
Huberdeau – Sharangovich - Mantha 

Coronato – Backlund – Coleman

Zary – Kadri – Kuzmenko

Lomberg - Kirkland - Pospisil

Bahl - Andersson

Weegar – Miromanov 

Barrie – Pachal