Calgary Flames remain hot in pre-season, beat Vancouver Canucks 4-2

Adam Klapka continues to marque an impression, and permission an impression, arsenic the 6-foot-8 Czech pushes to marque the Calgary Flames opening-night roster.

Klapka scored his 3rd extremity successful 3 games and delivered 2 thundering bodychecks to pb the Flames to a 4-2 triumph implicit the Vancouver Canucks successful NHL pre-season enactment connected Saturday.

“When I get present from Europe, each crippled I get much comfy with the puck. Same happening here, I conscionable consciousness much and much assured with the puck connected my stick,” said Klapka.

Signed retired of Europe arsenic a escaped cause successful 2022, Klapka is successful his 3rd play with the Flames organization. He’s played 125 AHL games and past twelvemonth got into six NHL games, scoring his archetypal goal.

“He’s impressed me,” said Ryan Lomberg, who had a extremity and an assist. “I don’t adjacent cognize however gangly helium is, nevertheless gangly this ceiling is conscionable about, and helium tin move, helium tin marque plays, helium tin shoot, he’s physical. It’s breathtaking stuff.”

Klapka’s extremity astatine 16:31 of the 2nd play ended up being the last extremity of the game.

On some sides of his violative prowess, his physicality was connected afloat display, throwing an open-ice deed successful the archetypal play connected Nils Aman that sent the guardant flying. In the third, his dense deed connected defenceman Akito Hirose sent him careening into the sideboards. Hirose had to beryllium helped disconnected the ice.

When Flames coach Ryan Huska was asked what helium wants to spot retired of his 4th enactment this season, helium pointed to Saturday’s assemblage of enactment from Klapka, Lomberg, and centre Kevin Rooney.

“Tonight was a bully snapshot of it. They’re a radical of guys that person to beryllium hard to play against,” said Huska. “They person to marque it uncomfortable connected defencemen, knowing that, ohio my goodness, these guys are coming again, and with that, I deliberation they’re going to resistance radical into the crippled with them, similar they did tonight.”

Lomberg looks guardant to playing much with him.

“He’s gonna marque my occupation existent casual this twelvemonth if helium keeps hitting guys similar that,” said Lomberg. “It’s gonna beryllium a batch of fun.”

Brayden Pachal, who besides had an assist, and Blake Coleman besides scored for Calgary, which improves to 4-0-1.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Aatu Raty were the marksmen for Vancouver, which is 2-2-0 successful accumulation play.

Dan Vladar, who stopped 17 of 19 shots successful 40 minutes of action, got the win. Devin Cooley made 9 stops successful relief.

Artus Silovs, beaten 4 times connected 24 shots, gave mode to Nikita Tolopilo to commencement the third. Tolopilo made 8 saves.

Calgary opened the scoring astatine 4:23 erstwhile Pachal’s rising wrist changeable from the bluish enactment done a maze of bodies eluded Silovs, who ne'er saw it.

The Flames surged successful beforehand 2-0 3 minutes aboriginal erstwhile Lomberg corralled a MacKenzie Weegar rebound successful the slot and fired a changeable conscionable wrong the goalpost.

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Lomberg, 29, who broke into the NHL arsenic a Flame successful 2017-18, re-signed successful the off-season successful Calgary arsenic a escaped cause aft 4 years with the Florida Panthers, which was capped disconnected by winning the Stanley Cup.

Canucks’ manager Rick Tocchet said helium liked Raty’s game.

“He’s a sticky player. He gets successful there, comes up with escaped pucks, helium makes immoderate bully plays,” said the Vancouver seat boss.

Raty’s extremity came connected a cleanable changeable aft being acceptable up neatly connected a 2-on-1 by Conor Garland.

“He didn’t truly look astatine maine astatine all, but I knew helium was going to find me, he’s a great, large passer,” said Raty. “I got the walk and I had tons of room.”

Raty, a second-round prime successful 2021, was acquired from the New York Islanders successful the Bo Horvat trade. He’s spent astir of the past 2 seasons successful the AHL.

“It’s bully to person 1 find the net,” said Raty, noting that it gives him confidence.

Unexpected offence

Known much for his physicality, Pachal has ne'er had a multi-point crippled successful his 62 vocation NHL regular-season games. The 24-year-old was successful his 5th play with the Vegas Golden Knights enactment erstwhile helium was claimed disconnected waivers by Calgary past February.

Up next

Canucks: Visit the Edmonton Oilers connected Monday.

Flames: Host the Seattle Kraken connected Monday.