This game can be summed up in two statements:

  1. Horrible Flames play for 3 periods.
  2. The worst blown call by an official in the third (not that it mattered)

You know things are going bad when 5v5 the Flames are outworked and pushed around. If they can’t handle a team missing 8 regulars, you know things are going downhill. From the get go the Flames were losing puck battles and getting outhit. They quickly found themselves down 1-0 off, yet again, bad special teams play.

Luckily our 27th ranked PP scored a goal to tie late in the 1st period. Huselius scored his 20th goal of the season. After that, it was the usual out work, out hit, and a loss that’s plagued this team for the past three games.

Ference made it close in the second, but a late PP opportunity was squandered. 60 minutes a game is necessary in order to win. Playoffs will be non-existent if these games-in-hand aren’t won. If this loss continues there will be another 2 quick losses this weekend and a bottom placement for the Flames in the NW division.

One has to wonder what’s going on in the coaching room. For some reason it’s better to dress 7 defencemen than a full set of forwards. We know Lundmark isn’t playing well, but come on, give Godard a chance! Plus, it’s tough for Zyuzin to come back after 2.5 weeks off and play great. Things need to tighten up and the team needs to drop back to basics. Perhaps a leadership issue?

The third period was pretty much the same as the first two, with Calgary struggling to establish a presence against a team with a bunch of minor leaguers. By the way, what happened to the interested PP looks we saw two games ago? Right now, the PP is garbage, has always been. In fact, all special teams need attention. For some reason, it’s not important to the coaching staff to come up with anything new. Another coaching issue is the ability to change strategy within a game. This is obviously Calgary’s weakest part of the game. You’d think that the Flames would figure out how to change strategy with puckhandling goalie Turco, but no, same old struggling play. I’d hate to see this Calgary team play against a healthy Dallas.

Any attempt to comeback was negated by a horrible blown call against Hamrlik. Still a ways to go for this Calgary team. Even with the addition of Iginla in 2-3 weeks won’t help this team. Defence first folks, and we’re struggling mightily to pull off 60 minutes.