Calgary Puck

It sure looked like the script was writing itself.

Tired team comes out flat as a pancake, but guts out a huge victory in their final road game basically on fumes.

You can rip that script up.

The Flames out played and exhausted took the game to the third period at 2-2, giving themselves a chance. But a third period powerplay goal by the Hurricanes was the difference as the Flames couldn’t muster the game tying goal.

The loss moves the Flames out of a playoff spot; it’s ok though they were in one at Thanksgiving!, as they come home with a 2-3-1 record on the six game trip.

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The Flames are getting pretty consistent in rolling out solid road game efforts, giving themselves a chance to win.

Tonight they did the same, pretty much owning the first period but coming out of the first frame down 1-0.

From there the Caps found their legs and built on their lead, while the Flames had trouble solving Darcy Kuemper in dropping a 3-0 game in D.C.

The road trip concludes in Carolina tomorrow afternoon. The Flames have an Even Steven 2-2-1 record with the balance coming down to a result against the Hurricanes.

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The Flames haven’t had their goaltender steal a lot of points this season, but that’s exactly what we saw from Dan Vladar tonight in turning aside 38 shots in a 2-1 shoot out loss in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night.

With American Thanksgiving tomorrow, Vladar and the Flames secured a playoff spot at the fictional hurdle and moved their road trip record to 2-1-1 with dates in Washington and Carolina to come before heading home Saturday evening.

The Penguins scored twice in the first period, but had the second one called back as an offside, and from there Dan Vladar was almost unbeatable for the Flames in his 4th start of the season.

With back to backs coming up you’d have to think he’ll get another look.

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Results matter, don’t get me wrong.

But the Calgary Flames were plugging along with a lot of things going against them but still getting middling results.

The league’s worst starting schedule, some key injuries, and some iffy goaltending and finishing was more than enough of a recipe to burn the muffins and cause a small fire in the kitchen.

But the underlying stuff suggested a turnaround, and slowly we’ve seen exactly that with the Flames winning 5-2 in Philly tonight to win their second of three on this six game road trip and four of five overall as they look to erase the effects of a seven game losing streak.

Tonight Blake Coleman, in his 400th NHL game scored a goal and added two assists, while Jacob Markstrom was strong in the victory.

Next up the Flames travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins on Wednesday night.

Three more to go on the trip … do they come home with six points? Seven? Eight? More?

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Wins matter.

With a team having lost eight of their last ten you need to start racking up two points a night, not one, and certainly not zero.

But some games are more important than others, and this one was certainly one of those with the three principals in the July 22nd trade facing off against their ex teammates for the first time.

It was also an important start for Jacob Markstrom, also an ex Panther, as he put the focus on his shoulders with his comments after his gaff in the third period in Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

All told a solid game, back and forth with an entertaining overtime, before the goalies stole the show in a 10 shot shoot out.

The Flames win 5-4 in the shoot out with Jonathan Huberdeau and Jacob Markstrom keeping it alive, Markstrom stopping Matthew Tkachuk on a slap shot; not his usual shoot out move.

Next up for the Flames is a date in Philly against the Flyers on Monday night. Game time 5pm.

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