Sometimes you need to be lucky in order to be good. The Calgary Flames are not off to a good start, in fact they have begun the season with one of their worst in franchise history. To find some bounces to go their way would do wonders for their confidence. With only two wins on the season, and high expectations,  everyone is surprised of this year’s installment of Flames looks like what last year’s was supposed to look like.

Heading into Edmonton and their newly resurgent franchise complete with an innumerable number out first round picks,  a win would hopefully get the ball rolling in calories favorite. But there’s a problem. Actually three of them.

Here’s the post game vignette.

The problems are on every aspect of this team.  timely scoring is absent of the top line has been struggling. The defense is probably the biggest surprise, and not in a good way. They’re among the leagues worst singles against, possession and minus stats. The addition of injured TJ Brodie has definitely helped the team, but the love affair with the likes of Deryk Engelland continues and Calgary can be seen running fire drills every time he’s on the ice. It doesn’t help matters that Dougie Hamilton still hasn’t found his game on his new team.  And then there’s goaltending, the carousel continues with Jonas Hiller out with injury and Kari Ramo back from the liners playing. Joni Ortio  has been a bust and getting timely goaltending, well that just hasn’t happened yet. It doesn’t help, again that the defense operates like a sieve.

  • Playing some of his worst defense of hockey is in fact Mark Giordano. We all know that Dennis Wideman plays defense with one hand on the stick. But Giordano is usually money back there. Recently he’s been struggling to stay in the play and seems to be a step behind. He took two minor penalties against the Oilers that cost the team. He’s going to have to lead by example if this defensive core is going to change their posture.
  • Finally finding his scoring form, and do with little help, was Michael Frolik. A couple lucky bounces gave him his first career hat trick. With eight seconds left in the game he also scored an improbable, impossible if you will, goal from behind the goal line.
  • Sam Bennett looks to be finding his game at center at the expense of Michael Backland who’s now the fourth line center.
  • Ladislav Smid sat and Engelland continued his tour place to release worth minus rating.
  • The top D man was TJ Brodie who had a goal in this game and was dominantIn his puck moving.
  • The offence from Jiri Hudler is still missing, which is odd given this as his contract year.
  • The flames out hit the Oilers 2 to 1.
  • Calgary continues to allow more than four goals a gameAdaptations going to kill them in the long run.

Next up is the Colorado Avalanche, another divisional game  that the Flames will either take a step forward or two steps back.