Flames got "half undressed" thinking they'd lost after Wild finish

The Calgary Flames might’ve been a little too quick to get that gear off.

The Flames had thought they’d been bested in overtime, another extra-frame frustration in the second of back-to-back games at the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

Heads hung, equipment peeling off.

Not so fast.

“I think there were 10 of us in the room,” forward Tyler Toffoli told Flames TV. “We thought the game was over, obviously. We heard everybody screaming to get back out there and we went back out and Darryl (Sutter) told us to get our heads back into it.

“There was some gear (taken off), I’m not going to name names. Not mine. My jersey might have been off. But was on my lap still. But there was some gear off.”

"Marky was outstanding all night."

Tyler Toffoli shares his thoughts on the shootout win over the Wild. pic.twitter.com/xhbSM5y1JW

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 8, 2023

Instead, the Flames didn’t fold in a 63-minute affair with the Wild, a team they’re conceivably chasing in an uphill climb towards a Stanley Cup Playoffs spot.

Jared Spurgeon scored at 3:14 of overtime, depositing a rebound behind goalie Jacob Markstrom in what was going to be his only blemish after 60-plus minutes and 40 saves.

Until it wasn’t at all.

Video review, initiated by the NHL Situation Room, determined Spurgeon preceded the puck into the zone and was offside prior to his goal. The result? A fresh 0-0 slate with some time still left in the extra frame.

Explanation of Situation Room Initiated Challenge at 3:24 of overtime in the @NHLFlames / @mnwild game. https://t.co/KTVt1qILix

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 8, 2023

Better snap back to reality, the coach demanded.

And gear back up.

Toffoli didn’t name names or point fingers at those who quickly stripped.

But Rasmus Andersson was fully ready to admit he was nearly halfway to the showers before the call flipped and there’d be an extra few minutes of action put back on the clock.

“I was really upset there,” Andersson told Flames TV. “All the thoughts are going through your head, so I was in there, half undressed. Then Gibby (Dennis Gilbert) was like, ‘It might be offside.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, right. They’re just checking from the league.’ They’re like, ‘Ras. It might be offside. Ras. It’s OFFSIDE.’

“Gibby was like ‘Ras, it’s offside’ and then I heard it. I was like ‘oh shit.’ Got my equipment back on really quick and right on next shift.”

"He's been unbelievable the last five, six games. He really deserved that one."

Rasmus Andersson on the play of Jacob Markstrom and thoughts on the win. pic.twitter.com/MMg0PcaKWD

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 8, 2023

The Flames pushed the game beyond the extra frame and eventually won in a shootout thanks to Toffoli’s slippery slide through the legs of Minnesota goalie Filip Gustavsson.

In the end, he was bested by Markstrom — though both goalies officially register shutouts in the affair.

“When you see the puck go in, it’s obviously frustrating,” Markstrom told Flames TV. “A few guys stayed on the bench. Just figured I’d stay on the bench until it’s confirmed. It’s nice that they review all the goals.”

"Our guys did a great job making sure I saw most of the pucks."

Jacob Markstrom on his shutout performance in the win over Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/7bHhllwhQL

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 8, 2023

Seemed to work.

Markstrom returned to his crease to finish the job, giving the Flames back-to-back wins in back-to-back sets to keep some playoff aspirations alive.

“I didn’t really think anything of it,” Markstrom said. “I just waited and then we’ll see. I didn’t want to get my hopes up and then get upset and lose my head.

“I just tried to stay focused.”

You might also like: