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THE Calgary Flames threatened to knock the NHL’s only undefeated team off that lofty perch.

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In the end, they failed to achieve this. Some will blame the referees.

The Winnipeg Jets took advantage of a late power play Saturday, with Cole Perfetti scoring the go-ahead goal with less than four minutes left in regulation as the visitors escaped the Saddledome with a 5-3 victory.

Flames center Nazem Kadri seethed as he left the penalty box, giving Cody Beach an earful for a sharp call he didn’t think was warranted, especially in the late stages of a tie. Beach felt Kadri deserved to sit for two minutes to clip Neal Pionk’s hands as he carried the puck around his own net.

“We had a great game on our hands,” said Kadri, who was the victim of a 10-minute professional foul as he continued to express his frustrations after Mason Appleton’s empty-net goal. “It’s very unfortunate that it had to come down to this.” I feel like you have to have a certain feel for the game. And especially when they come out of a five-on-three, being called out is upsetting.

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“I think both teams played very well. It was great hockey there. It was just a great battle. And someone made a little too much of a decision on the play.”

The Jets left Calgary with a still perfect record, at 8-0-0.

The Flames, after a torrid start, have now suffered back-to-back losses to fall to 5-2-1.

Kadri, Mikael Backlund and Rasmus Andersson each scored against the Jets, while Andrei Kuzmenko had two assists and Dustin Wolf contributed 30 saves.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s showdown…

POWER-PLAY LACKS POP

Go ahead and blame the officials.

We certainly understand this frustration.

But be sure to point the finger at the Flames’ power play as well.

The Jets were 2 for 4 on their man advantage opportunities, with Nikolaj Ehlers lucking out on a first-period pass attempt that batted away Andersson’s skate and Perfetti burying that shot on the blocker side with 3:44 to go. play.

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The hosts were 0 for 4 when they had a man. Even worse, they allowed a shortie.

You’re not going to beat the best team in the NHL if you finish minus-3 in the special teams tug-of-war.

After a good start, the Flames went three consecutive games without conceding a profit on the power play. After Saturday’s setback, head coach Ryan Huska noted that Yegor Sharangovich’s return likely created “a little disconnect” within the top unit. (It’s great news for the Flames, however, that “Sharky” is now back in the lineup after missing the first seven games with a lower-body injury.)

“I feel like sometimes we try to do too much on our own a little bit,” Huska said, assessing the Flames’ recent funk on the power play, which leaves them with a low success rate throughout. throughout the season by 18.5%. “And then it seems like the room has to be prettier or nicer than it should be.” Just make the game simple, quick, and straightforward, and I think we’ll have more success.

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WOLF’S WIN STREAK ARRIVED

Wolf will look to start a new streak in his next start.

After having won seven consecutive victories, a streak that dates back to the end of last season, the

The rising star goaltender suffered his first defeat since April 4 on Saturday.

Nonetheless, it was another solid performance from the 23-year-old. What was particularly impressive was how he ignored one of the strangest goals you’ll ever see. Dylan Samberg shot wide, but the puck bounced wackily off the backboards and hit Wolf right on the numbers as he tried to locate that ricocheted rebound.

“I thought after that he got better,” Huska said, noting that Dan Vladar was just as impressive when he was between the pipes. “I think our two goaltenders have been like that: they’ve been resilient this year and they’ve been two of our best players.”

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Wolf was at his best as the Flames survived a 90-second stretch with two players in the trash in the third. During this streak, he stoned Kyle Connor three times.

“It’s a dynamic change,” Wolf said. “And if that penalty isn’t called (on Kadri) soon after, I think we’re in good hands with momentum. It’s on our side. It’s a shame they get a another power play and they end up scoring at the end of the game. That’s hockey for you.

WATCHING IS CARING

If you’re sitting in the front row wearing the colors of the enemy, know that you could find yourself on Andersson’s highlight stage.

It looks like his stare celebration is here to stay.

In Saturday’s second period, Andersson fired a sharp angle shot past Eric Comrie for his fourth goal of the season. He was walking past when he spotted a fan wearing a Jets jersey, slamming on the brakes to greet this woman with an intense look. She was nice about it, responding with a good laugh.

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Andersson also has mean fans in Vancouver and Edmonton and found a dude in a Pittsburgh Penguins sweater after his other home count.

What’s really encouraging is Andersson’s current clip. The 27-year-old pacesetter is tied for the team lead with four elite shots in eight outings thus far.

Throughout his career, this workaholic defender averaged a goal every dozen or so games. His single-season high is 11, his total coming in 2022-23, but he’s currently working to break that number.

Andersson is also the first Flames defenseman in a decade to reach double-digit point totals heading into Game 10 of the schedule. Mark Giordano was the last to achieve this feat in 2013-2014.

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