Achi news desk-
Blake Coleman scored his 30th goal and MacKenzie Weegar had his 20th as the Calgary Flames set several personal milestones in a season-ending 5-1 win over the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
Adam Klapka, with his first NHL goal, Oliver Kylington and Kevin Rooney also scored for Calgary (38-39-5). The Flames finished 25th overall while missing the post-season for the second consecutive year.
Dustin Wolf, who lost his bid for his first NHL shutout with nine seconds left in the game, had 16 stops. The rookie finished his season on a four-game winning streak to level his record at 7-7-1.
Fabian Zetterlund scored the only goal for San Jose (19-54-9), which finished last overall. The Sharks have missed the play-offs in the last five seasons. Mikael Granlund had an assist to end the season on a 13-game point streak (two goals, 13 assists).
It was another tough night for Sharks starter Devin Cooley, who was pulled for the second game in a row. After giving up eight goals on 22 shots Monday in Edmonton, he was beaten five times on 23 shots before being given the nod Thursday by coach David Quinn. It drops to 2-3-1.
Georgi Romanov had 14 stops in relief.
Calgary jumped out to a 2-0 lead on first period goals less than three minutes apart.
Klapka, the six-foot-eight Czech in his sixth NHL game, opened the scoring at 12:13. After the 23-year-old spun in the high slot and whipped in his first shot, he rolled it back in and fired again, this time finding the top corner.
Coleman’s goal, the first time the 32-year-old reached 30, was an easy tap-in into the side of the net after he was set up by a perfect pass from Connor Zary.
Coleman had missed the previous four games with an upper body injury. Coleman’s previous career high was 22 with the New Jersey Devils in 2018-19.
Calgary blew the game open early in the second with three more goals in a span of just over three minutes.
Kylington whipped a point shot into the top corner at 3:53, Rooney picked the top corner at 5:59, and Weegar’s shot rising from the blue line found the back of the net at 6:56.
Only Roman Josi (23) and Cale Makar (21) have more goals than Weegar among defenders.
Weegar’s breakout season comes in the 30-year-old’s seventh NHL campaign. He had never scored more than eight before. Last season, his first with the Flames after coming over from Florida, he had four goals.
The only milestone to be chased that was not reached was Nazem Kadri’s 30th goal.
First goal club
Klapka is the fifth Flames player to score his first NHL goal this season. Connor Zary, Matt Coronato, Martin Pospisil, and Nick DeSimone – later traded to New Jersey – also accomplished that feat.
Sharks bite
San Jose’s .287 points percentage is the second worst in the NHL in the last 24 years, better only than the 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings (.275). This is the Sharks’ worst season since 1995-96 when they had an identical points total. The franchise record (.143) was set in 1992-93.
—
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on April 18, 2024.
