Breakaway on SI

Flames Winger's Hot Streak Could Land Him NHL Role

The Calgary Flames have a good young roster and a key face of the future put on a show in their recent win.

Nick Horwat

Nov 3, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames right wing Matt Coronato (27) skates with the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Nov 3, 2024; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames right wing Matt Coronato (27) skates with the puck against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images / Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Calgary Flames aren’t expected to make a ton of noise this season, but they’ve had a solid start with a 7-5-1 record. Their most recent win came from the stick of a highly anticipated youngster in Matt Coronato.

After scoring late in the third period to tie the game against the Montreal Canadiens, Coronato went on to pot the game-winner for the Flames just seven seconds into overtime. It was Coronato’s second two-goal game of the season, but he hasn’t been a regular in the NHL lineup.

The Flames briefly sent the 21-year-old forward to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, where he played two games, adding another two-goal game.

Is Coronato ready to be a full-time NHLer? TSN analyst Craig Button spoke highly of Coronato and his abilities at the biggest level of the sport.

“Certainly when Matt was sent down to the American Hockey League team, his game grew,” Button said. “You can just see confidence building. Not only in Matt Coronato, but in a young team.”

Button went on to discuss how the Flames have one of the best young rosters in the NHL. Coronato is just another young piece in a lineup that features forward Conor Zary and goalie Dustin Wolf. Both are expected to be centerpieces of the Flames organization in the future.

“This is a team in Calgary that plays hard,” Button said. “They’re plucky, they’re not going to get pushed around… This is what you can expect all year long.”

Coronato was a first-round draft pick (13th overall) of the Flames in 2021. He played 34 games at the NHL level during the 2023-24 season and scored nine total points (3G-6A). In 41 games at the AHL level last year, he recorded a dominant 42 points (15G-27A) in 41 games.

The Flames believe they have something special with Coronato, he just needs to find that success on a consistent basis when playing in the NHL. A game-tying goal followed by a one-man show overtime winner should be a huge boost to his standing in the lineup.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway OnSI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more! 

Published
Nick Horwat
NICK HORWAT

Home/News Feed Page