The Calgary Flames extinguished the Pittsburgh Penguins' hot streak in a nail-biting 2-1 victory on Saturday, January 10, 2026! But was it a clean win? Controversy erupted in the third period, and we'll dive into that shortly. This game, broadcast by ESPN, saw the Flames finally break their losing streak, while the Penguins' season-high winning streak came to an abrupt halt.
Matt Coronato emerged as the hero for Calgary (check out his ESPN profile here: http://www.espn.com/nhl/player//id/4874730/matt-coronato), netting the game-winning goal early in the third period. Connor Zary (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player//id/4697407/connor-zary) also contributed a crucial goal for the Flames. This win marked Calgary's first of 2026, snapping a frustrating four-game losing skid where they struggled to find the back of the net, being limited to just a single goal in each of those previous three defeats.
Goaltender Devin Cooley (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4319911/devin-cooley) had a stellar performance between the pipes for Calgary, stopping 27 shots in his first start since December 20th. Cooley's confidence seemed unshaken, and he was a major factor in securing the win.
On the Penguins' side, Egor Chinakhov managed to score the lone goal, but it wasn't enough to keep their impressive six-game winning streak alive. Pittsburgh had been on a roll, winning seven of their last eight games before this setback. Arturs Silovs (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4576894/arturs-silovs) did his best in goal for Pittsburgh, making 23 saves.
Now, here's where it gets controversial... Late in the third period, Thomas Novak appeared to have scored the equalizer for Pittsburgh. But the goal was waved off due to goaltender interference, with the referees ruling that Sidney Crosby (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3114/sidney-crosby) had interfered with Cooley. Was it the right call? This is sure to spark debate among fans. Did Crosby impede Cooley's ability to make the save, or was it just incidental contact? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
Beyond the game's outcome, there were some notable milestones and streaks that came to an end. Evgeni Malkin (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player//id/3124/evgeni-malkin) recorded his 854th career assist, surpassing both Bryan Trottier and Anze Kopitar (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player//id/3183/anze-kopitar) for the 10th-most assists in NHL history with a single team – a truly remarkable achievement! However, Bryan Rust (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/2591155/bryan-rust) was sidelined with a lower-body injury and is currently listed as day-to-day. Furthermore, Crosby's eight-game point streak ended, and Erik Karlsson's nine-game home point streak was also snapped.
Let's break down the goals. Coronato's game-winner came just 42 seconds into the third period with a well-placed wrist shot that beat Silovs. Zary opened the scoring for Calgary early in the first period with a breakaway goal at 2:33. He capitalized on an errant pass from Ryan Shea (http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3942033/ryan-shea) at the offensive blueline, going in alone and slipping the puck between Silovs' legs. Pittsburgh's only goal came at 9:17 of the second period when Chinakhov finished off a give-and-go play with Malkin from the right faceoff dot. A beautiful passing play that showcased the Penguins' offensive talent, even in defeat.
Looking ahead, the Flames continue their five-game road trip with a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. The Penguins will travel to Boston to face the Bruins on Sunday. Will the Flames continue their winning ways on the road? Can the Penguins bounce back from this loss and start a new streak? Only time will tell!
This game, like all NHL action, is covered extensively by the Associated Press (AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl). What were your key takeaways from this game? Did you agree with the interference call? Let's hear your thoughts!
