The Calgary Flames took a needed step forward Tuesday night, and less than 24 hours later they were back on the ice trying to turn that first victory into something more. Calgary beat the Anaheim Ducks 4-2 for its first win of the season, then flew to Vegas shortly after midnight on Wednesday for a matchup with the Golden Knights at 8 p.m. MT.
The task was a difficult one. The Vegas Golden Knights entered the game leading the Pacific Division at 6-2-0 after beating the Nashville Predators 5-2 on Tuesday night. It was also the first of four meetings between Calgary and Vegas in 2026-27, with the next game scheduled for February 1 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Backlund: Calgary has to keep the same edge
Flames captain Mikael Backlund said the group felt ready to stop losing and build off the performance against Anaheim. In his view, Calgary did a better job of staying with its game and playing with pace.
"I think we just kept going," Backlund said. "I felt like the group was ready not to lose and it was like, 'We're not gonna be denied in here, we're gonna keep pushing, and we're gonna turn this around.'"
Backlund also said the Flames need to make their style harder to play against. After a morning meeting with coaches on Wednesday, he pointed to the value of recognizing what worked in the first win and repeating it.
"We've got to stick to what works for us," Backlund said. "We had a good meeting this morning, coaches showing us what we did well and why we were winning. We've got to keep doing that, keep playing that solid game and making it hard on the teams and (making) it frustrating for them."
Vegas brings depth and a strong start
The Golden Knights have already shown why they are again considered one of the tougher teams in the Pacific Division. The early scoring load has been spread around, with Tomas Hertl and Jack Eichel among the team’s leading scorers to start the season. Brett Howden also pointed to the way Vegas leans on its depth.
"We talk a lot about how much our depth means to our team, and how effective it is," Howden said. "It goes to show that we can count on anyone on any given night."
That depth matters in a matchup like this, especially against a Calgary team still trying to stabilize after a slow start. The Flames have reason to feel better after beating Anaheim, but the challenge changes quickly when the opponent is a Vegas club that had six wins in eight games heading into the night.
Calgary still chasing consistency
Calgary’s game in Vegas came with a little more momentum than it had carried earlier in the season, but the bigger test was whether the Flames could repeat the habits that helped them win. Backlund said the effort against Anaheim was encouraging, including stretches where Calgary played with pace and energy.
For a team trying to climb out of an early hole, that makes the next step clear. The Flames need the same structure, the same urgency and the same willingness to grind through the difficult stretches. Against a first-place Vegas team, that was the only way to stay in the game.
The matchup also carried some early-season significance in the division. Calgary and Vegas would meet again on February 1, but this first meeting was a chance for the Flames to show their first win was a starting point rather than a one-night exception.
