Not sure where the rest of the city (or out of city, province and country Flame fans) feel, but this good start no finish then collapse script is getting a little old.
Losses to the Rangers, Sharks and Knights in the past three weeks have taken what looked like a team well on their way to two points instead reeling into a frustrating night that features many a puck on net, but very few creating a sun burn on the back of the opposing goaltender.
I’m honestly out of answers.
Bad luck, bad aim, snake bit, too young, weak mentally, or Hockey God’s feverishly evening the account for the 2014-15 season are all possible answers. One can only hope that whatever the cause they have it out of their system and are ready to start fresh next season.
Today, after a solid start the Flames give up four goals in nine minutes in the second period and then coast through the rest of the clock for a 4-0 loss to Vegas this afternoon.
The fat lady hasn’t sung, but she’s warm and ready to take the stage.
Quick Start
Well if there season is over, it appears the message wasn’t delivered to the Flame’s dressing room as they played about as good of a road first period as we’ve seen this year. Final shots in the first period were 19-6 Calgary, but as per usual they couldn’t score and with that it was scoreless; the story of the season.
I had the Flames needing to go 3-1-0 in each of their final three four game segments. The loss to San Jose means they needed to win today and tomorrow night to secure the first grouping. The lopsided loss in Vegas will mean they’ll need a 4-0-0 stretch in one of the final two segments; something even the most optimistic of fans would have trouble holding out hope for.
Smith Speech
I’m certainly not trying to start a “thing”, but Smith’s rough game against San Jose came just a handful of days after his “everyone needs to get themselves ready” speech before the Oiler game.
Smith was brilliant against the Oilers backing up his remarks, but his rough outing against San Jose wasn’t all that well timed.
Players are allowed to have off games, however, but as I said the timing wasn’t that great and certainly Smith hasn’t been quite himself in three of the four starts since he returned from his injury.
Vegas Presence
For most of the season I was cursing the presence of the Knights at the top of the standings, as they appeared to be the change in the Pacific that made the Flames road to the playoffs that much more difficult.
Of late however that rings less true, as without Vegas the Flames would still be behind the Sharks, Kings and Ducks and out of a divisional playoff spot.
Reeves Impact
The tough guy as a roster spot seems to be a thing of the past, heading out of style at about the same time as Blockbuster video and A&B Sound.
Yet you couldn’t miss the impact one of the league’s final tough guys had on the game this afternoon. With the game scoreless and Calgary carrying the play Reeves ran over TJ Brodie behind his net setting of a shoving match. A big hit can get a team going, we’ve all seen that before. But this one had the added bonus of a guy able to shove any one that came near him with little chance he’d find any takers for a scrap.
I’m certainly not advocating the return to a policeman but the impact of a physical player that can plan is undeniable.
Too Late For Bad Luck
Moral victories and games that are written off as bad luck are simply part of a season and fine for a team not battling for their playoff lives.
The whole story rings hollow however in a game that a team simply has to have.
It’s great to run up a 20-6 edge in shots in the first period, but without any results you could just sniff the game hanging in the balance and waiting for that first Vegas goal.
And sure enough …
- Point shot on a powerplay goes off of Stone and in.
- Brodie tosses a muffin pass into the neutral zone and then collides with a Vegas player on a change setting up a two on one
- Micheal Ferland loses an edge and falls creating a turnover that ends with a shot off of Smith’s glove that may have been going well.
Ah the 2017-18 season. We will miss you.
Finish Finished Them
Yet another game with a gawdie shot total but little in way of offence by the Flames; something we’ve seen far too often lately, and certainly on too many occasions through the season.
Five shots from Dougie Hamilton, four apiece from Mikael Backlund, Johnny Gaudreau, and Michael Stone. Three shots for Kris Versteeg, Michael Frolik, Mark Jankowski, Micheal Ferland and Sam Bennett. No goals.
Yet the one that really stands out to me wasn’t even a shot on goal, it was a shot ripped two feet wide by Mark Jankowski, set up by Sam Bennett in the first period when the team really needed a strike to get off on the right foot.
The story of the season.
Standings Impact
The results out of town are getting less and less important ironically, as the focus is now more on a club that needs to win out but has instead lost three of their last four.
Time is running out, the Flames pretty much have to run the table.
Fancy Stats
An odd game for the underlying stats as the Flames had lots of shot attempts in the first period (24) and then only 30 the rest of the way, while the Knights had 13 in the first but 39 the rest of the way. The Flames came out hard, weren’t rewarded and then folding up their tent and went home.
Scoring chances matched that look as the Knights had a 8-7 edge in the game five on five, the Flames had a 12-9 edge in all situations.
Individually, Mark Giordano led the way with 71% followed closely by the whole third line, a trio that was noticeable in the first two periods in the high 60s. The second pairing had a rough night with Brodie and Hamonic at the bottom of the pile along with Ferland Backund.
