3 Takeaways From Flames’ 5-2 Win Over the Maple Leafs

The Calgary Flames stayed hot on Monday night. In an all-Canadian matchup at the Saddledome with the Toronto Maple Leafs in town, the Flames were able to put forth yet another great effort in what turned out to be a 5-2 victory. Their rough start to the season has quickly been forgotten, as they now sit at 5-6-0 through the first 11 games of the 2026-27 season.

While the Flames will likely go through a series of highs and lows all season long, their play as of late is a great reminder that this group has a lot of fight in them. They may not have the talent to stack up against the league’s best, but they certainly won’t be an easy out. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from Monday’s big victory.

Flames Make it Four Straight

As mentioned, the Flames got off to a horrific start this season. They won just once in their first seven games while being outscored 35-14. While plenty of the fan base wanted a rebuild, nobody was happy with how badly they were losing. Thankfully, they’ve turned things around in major fashion.

The Flames’ win over the Maple Leafs on Monday marked their fourth win in a row. That’s a significant feat, especially given the fact that two of the other teams included in that streak are the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild. They suddenly have 10 points on the season which, while far from outstanding, is quite something given just how bad they started.

“We look like a faster team right now because I think we’re doing things the right way,” head coach Ryan Huska said postgame. “We’re playing a simpler brand of hockey and it’s resulting in more opportunities. The guys are now having success, so you can see the confidence starting to grow.”

Gridin Nets a Pair

Like many on the Flames, Matvei Gridin struggled out of the gates to begin the 2026-27 campaign. His slow start was particularly disappointing given that fans were expecting him to take a big step forward. Now we’re starting to see the version of the 20-year-old everybody expected to see.

Gridin scored twice in Monday’s win, giving him four goals and eight points on the season. These weren’t just any regular goals, either. Both were absolute snipes from the 2024 first-round pick, who beat Sergei Bobrovsky clean on both looks. That’s more like it.

“It was always a weapon,” a smiling Gridin said postgame. “I’ve just worked on it since childhood, always had a good shot. Just gotta start [shooting] more, I guess.”

It should also be noted that Gridin certainly didn’t lack confidence during his stretch with the Flames last season. He seems to have gotten that swagger back and may not be slowing down offensively anytime soon.

Cooley Starts Fourth Straight

Move over Dustin Wolf, there’s a new No. 1 in town. For the fourth-straight game on Monday, it wasn’t Wolf, but Devin Cooley between the pipes. The 29-year-old had been spectacular in each of his past three starts, kicking aside 100 of a combined 104 shots. He was every bit as great in this one.

Cooley allowed just two goals against the Maple Leafs, giving him 26 saves on the evening. He’s suddenly 4-2-0 on the season with an impressive 2.67 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. It seems like Huska is comfortable riding the hot hand for now, making it likely that we see him in the net for a fifth-consecutive start next outing.

Looking Ahead for the Flames

The Flames will enjoy an off-day on Tuesday before heading up north for a provincial bout against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Wednesday night. They’ll then return to Calgary to take on the Seattle Kraken on Friday, before heading right back on the road to face the Colorado Avalanche in their final game of the week on Saturday.