The Flames’ best goals of 2024-25: Nazem Kadri jumps over a player, recovers, and fires it home

Was it ever a question what the top-ranked goal by the Calgary Flames was going to be?

Nazem Kadri scored a whole lot of nice goals in 2024-25, including one against the Flames’ division rivals, the Vancouver Canucks. That said, none of the goals that we’ve looked at in this series even come close to his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The fact is, this may go down as the top goal of the 2024-25 season for any team, thanks to its uniqueness and skill. On Dec. 12, the Flames hosted the Lightning and found the opening goal. However, the Lightning tied it before the end of the first period, and scored three goals in less than five minutes in the second period. Down 4-1, the Flames needed something, and they got it from Kadri just 69 seconds after the 4-1 goal.

Kevin Bahl’s breakout pass was tipped ahead by Jonathan Huberdeau, allowing Kadri to get to the puck with a full head of steam. Lightning defenceman J.J. Moser was also chasing the puck, but took a tumble. So what did Kadri do? He jumped over the sprawled-out Lightning. Off balance, Kadri did a full 360, somehow picking up the puck immediately. The backchecking Lightning caught up to him and got a stick on Kadri’s stick, but the Flames’ centre out-muscled him and fired it past the Lightning’s netminder.