The Calgary Flames have completely changed their narrative in recent games. But nothing has flipped the script better than the power play.
Two weeks ago, the Flames had gotten off to one of their worst starts ever. Opponents defeated them easily since they couldn’t generate any offense. After their first five games, opponents outscored the Flames 27-8, and it looked like Calgary would be a favorite to land the first-overall pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
In their first six games, which included a come-from-behind win over the Anaheim Ducks to notch their first victory of the season, the power play was, at best, inconsistent. The unit went 2-for-13 in those first six games, good for a 15.3 percentage.
In recent games, the power play has turned into a strength for the Flames. It is also a big reason why they are winning games and why they now find themselves 4-6-0 this season.
Calgary Flames Power Play Has Gained More Steam
In Saturday night’s 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, the Flames’ power play went a perfect 2-for-2. That makes them an incredible 6-for-12 over their last four contests. The man advantage has also helped the Flames outscore opponents 11-10 in their previous four matchups, three of which have been wins.
Overall, heading into Saturday night, the Flames boasted the fifth-best power-play unit with a 26.09 percentage. The only real issue is that they haven’t drawn enough penalties, with just a league-worst 23 opportunities — 25 following Saturday’s contest.
Given the rough time Calgary has had at 5-on-5 before their victory over Detroit — 4.9 shooting percentage overall — the Flames must find ways to draw penalties. If they can do that while their 5-on-5 play gets back on track, they could ultimately sneak up and wreak havoc in the upcoming wild card race. That will be something to watch now that the Flames are well past the 10-percent mark of the season.
The Power Play Isn’t The Flames’ Only Consistent Unit
As a bonus, the penalty kill has also been steady. Calgary’s PK unit came up big on Saturday night, stopping both of Detroit’s chances. Over the last four games, the unit has stopped 11 of its last 13 opportunities, good for an 84.6 percentage.
The Flames have picked up as a unit defensively in recent games, so their .885 save percentage at 5-on-5 before Saturday night’s matchup was misleading. Still, when you consider that the PK unit has only 33 opportunities all season, which ranks in the middle of the league, it further shows how much of an impact it has had on games.
Calgary’s penalty kill has now stopped opponents 84.8 percent of the time overall. If it keeps going strong along with Devin Cooley’s consistent emergence, then the Flames will be one of the better overall defensive units in hockey.
Moving ahead, the Calgary Flames’ power play unit will be more than worth watching to see if it can keep building on its recent success. But keep an eye on the penalty kill, too, as it has been a bright spot throughout most of the 2026-27 season. If both units keep things moving northward in the next few games, they could set the stage for a potential season-long trend.
Calgary Flames’ Power Play Has Taken A Remarkable Turn