How did the Flames fare in Thursday's World Cup prelims?

(Jean-Yves Ahern / USA Today Sports)For the first time since June 12, there was somewhat meaningful hockey to watch today. Of course, World Cup of Hockey pre-tournament games are a far cry from the Stanley Cup Finals, but you gotta take what you can get. For the first time since mid-April, Calgary Flames players played high-level organized hockey.

How did they do in the first day of exhibition World Cup of Hockey play?

FINLAND (Jyrki Jokipakka) beats SWEDEN (Mikael Backlund) 4-3 in overtime

The Finns beat Sweden in overtime in Helinski. We're not saying it's because Mikael Backlund was a healthy scratch, but the results speak for themselves. He's played zero pre-tournament games and Sweden has…