Kadri Scores in 1,000th Game as Flames Roll Past Blue Jackets
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By Doug Hirdle
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Summary:
- Nazem Kadri reached his 1,000th NHL game milestone with a goal in the Calgary Flames’ 5–1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
- The Flames scored twice in the first 92 seconds, their fastest start in over a decade.
- Rookie goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 42 shots
Nazem Kadri marked his 1,000th NHL game in style on Wednesday night, scoring a key goal to help the Calgary Flames beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5–1 at home.
A Night to Remember
It was a memorable night for the veteran center, who became the 407th player in league history to reach the milestone, and just the 61st to score in that game.
Calgary got contributions across the lineup. Morgan Frost, Blake Coleman, Adam Klapka, and Mikael Backlund (with an empty-netter) also found the back of the net. Despite the win, and their first back-to-back victories of the season, the Flames (4–9–2) continue to stay at the bottom of the NHL standings.
Columbus (7–6–0) struggled to keep up and has now dropped two straight after winning four in a row. Kirill Marchenko scored the Blue Jackets’ lone goal, his team-leading sixth of the season.
Fast Start
The game started fast for Calgary. Just moments after the pregame ceremony honoring Kadri’s milestone, the Flames struck twice in the opening 92 seconds, the tenth-fastest two-goal start in team history.
Frost got the first one by tipping in a Jonathan Huberdeau shot just 56 seconds into the game, extending Huberdeau’s point streak to six games. On the next shift, Coleman made it 2–0 with his sixth goal of the year.
Marchenko got one back for Columbus five minutes later with a shorthanded goal, the first of his career, but that was as close as they came.
Calgary’s rookie goalie Dustin Wolf was sharp, stopping 42 shots to improve to 4–8–1. At the other end, Jet Greaves made 21 saves but fell to 3–4–0.
There was also a milestone for Flames defenseman Yan Kuznetsov, who picked up his first NHL point by assisting on Klapka’s goal. The 23-year-old was playing just his second NHL game, nearly two years after his first.
The turning point came midway through the second period. With the Flames clinging to a 2–1 lead, Joel Farabee set up Kadri on a two-on-one, sliding a perfect saucer pass across the crease. Kadri buried it inside the near post for his fourth of the season, and a storybook moment in his 1,000th game.
The Flames host the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, while the Blue Jackets continue their road trip Saturday in Vancouver. For continued hockey odds during the new NHL season always check out the latest sportbooks.
