Flames fall 4-1 to Canucks as new goalie Merilainen stops 23 shots
Vancouver's Leevi Merilainen, claimed off waivers from Ottawa last month, earned his first win as a Canuck by turning aside a Calgary breakaway in a tight contest.
The Calgary Flames lost 4-1 to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, falling to 0-2-0 on the season. Calgary led 1-0 after the first period on a Matt Coronato power-play goal, but Vancouver answered with four unanswered goals in the third to secure the win.
Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen, a 24-year-old claimed off waivers from the Ottawa Senators last month, made his first start for Vancouver and stopped 23 of 24 shots. His key save came late in the second period, stopping Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh on a 3-on-1 breakaway while the score was still 1-0.
Liam Ohgren scored and added an assist in his 100th NHL game, helping set up defenceman Elias Pettersson's go-ahead goal. Drew O'Connor and Aatu Raty, with an empty-netter, also scored for Vancouver, which improved to 2-1-0. Flames goaltender Devin Cooley made 23 saves in the loss.
The game featured a physical edge, including a fight between Calgary's Adam Klapa and Vancouver's Luke Schenn in the opening minutes. O'Connor's third-period goal came after a hit by Pettersson on Parekh freed up the puck near the Calgary net.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.