Improved power play helps ignite Flames’ hot streak, confidence

CALGARY — New faces and more movement are two of the key reasons why the Calgary Flames’ power play has gone from second-worst in the NHL last season to third-best this season.

After the man advantage went a perfect 2-for-2 on Saturday in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings — Calgary’s third straight victory — the Flames are 6-for-12 over their last four games. This season they’re operating at 32 per cent with the man advantage. Last year they were 16.2 per cent.

“I’ve never really felt like this in my career having a power play like this,” said Joel Farabee, who assisted on both Calgary power-play goals to go along with the game’s opening goal.

“We don’t really have our set spots,” said Farabee. “We just play like a five-man rover almost, and we’re just finding little areas and little plays.”

An example of that was Matvei Gridin’s goal at 18:30 of the second period, the club’s second power-play goal of the period that was set up by Farabee.

“I’m supposed to be on the half wall, but I moved to the bumper spot and found the open ice,” said Gridin, who is one of two 20-year-olds on the top unit. The other is defenceman Zayne Parekh.

“It’s positionless because you have to be aware that every team’s pressuring harder, and you have to have people in position to break that pressure,” said Calgary coach Ryan Huska. “So it’s often a short little pass that will do that for you and that means people are wherever they have to be.”

Another new face is defenceman Simon Nemec, acquired in the off-season from the New Jersey Devils. He’s running the second unit.

“We talked about it at the beginning of the year that our power play was going to be better because we have two legitimate guys in the back end that are power-play quarterbacks, and they help it a massive amount,” said Huska. “They’re the guys that really run a power play up top. So I think both of them have done a really good job.”

Parekh’s game-winner, breaking a 1-1 tie at 8:38 of the second, was also scored on the power play.

“He’s a rover, so at times he’s going to move around and end up down along the goal line. So that means a Joel Farabee, who’s usually a net front guy, is going to be on the top of the blue line,” said Huska.

“It creates some uneasy moments for coaches when they’re moving around like that, but they’re starting to figure out how to work off of each other.”

Parekh says everybody is chipping in.

“There’s not a guy that’s going to take over. You don’t have those (Nathan) MacKinnons or (Connor) McDavids, but we’re all moving pucks in unison, and whoever scores, we’re happy for them.”

Communication has been another key.

“We spend a lot of time talking at intermission,” Farabee said. “That’s awesome when you have a bunch of young guys that are really committed to scoring and trying to find little plays.”

That movement and the success that has followed has the man-advantage units feeling good.

“They’re moving the puck quick right now, and as with everything, when the power play is scoring and things are going their way, they start feeling really good about when they’re on the ice,” said Huska. “They know they can be difference makers, and that’s the phase they’re in right now.”

Another one of the changes this season is assistant coach Dave Lowry taking over control of the man-advantage from Cail MacLean, who ran it last year.

“One of Dave’s things that he’s worked on with them is that he wants them to think about scoring all the time, like off faceoffs, off entries,” said Huska. “They are expected to score and I think they’re starting to get that mindset as a group of five.”

Another factor Saturday was key faceoff wins to start off both power plays by Morgan Frost. That enabled the home team to immediately get set up.

The first goal took only 21 seconds. The second goal came 19 seconds into the power play.

“If you don’t win that first faceoff, you run the risk of wasting 20, 30 seconds going up and down the ice, so the faceoff is really important,” Huska said.

After opening the season with five straight losses, Calgary has won three in a row and four of its last five. The Flames have two more stiff tests coming up with the Toronto Maple Leafs visiting the Saddledome on Monday and the Flames heading up the highway to take on the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

“It’s honestly pretty depressing when you’re losing hockey games. These guys take a lot of pride in the way we play, and we want to win games,” said Parekh. “Everyone in this room is going to die for each other and work their tail off for each other. So we’re having a lot of fun winning games right now.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.

Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press