The Calgary Flames played their first game in nine days on Friday against the Washington Capitals. The Flames weren’t awful, but they were bad enough at key moments in the game to lose in regulation. They dropped a 4-3 contest to the Capitals at Capital One Center in Washington, D.C.

The Flames got into a hole early in a somewhat predictable manner. Mike Smith left his crease to play a dump-in, shot the puck around the boards in an attempt to clear the zone, and saw the puck intercepted by the Capitals at the point. A few passes later – and a Nic Dowd tip in front – and it was a 1-0 lead for Washington.

Late in the periods the Flames managed to draw even off a gorgeous individual effort from Mikael Backlund. Skating through the neutral zone, Backlund avoided contact with Brooks Orpik, caused Orpik to collide with another Capital, and saw the puck ricochet off Orpiks stick and fly across the neutral zone. Backlund tracked the puck down, deked around Braden Holtby and poked the puck past him to make it 1-1.

But the Capitals re-took the lead with 36 seconds left in the period, as Dmitrij Jaskin jammed in the rebound off an initial Lars Eller shot to make it 2-1 Capitals. Smith had to make a bunch of up-close stops, but he didn’t swallow up the rebounds, either.

Shots were 13-13 in the first while chances were 18-12 Flames.

The Capitals extended their lead early in the second period. Matthew Tkachuk bobbled the puck while trying to skate it out of the Flames zone, allowing the Capitals to grab it, make a couple quick passes and feed Tom Wilson for a low wrister that beat Smith to make it 3-1.

But a minute and a half later the Flames got one back, as a TJ Brodie point shot was deflected twice – the last time by Garnet Hathaway – and eluded Holtby to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Shots were 16-7 Capitals, while chances were 5-5.

After a pair of unsuccessful power plays, the Flames tied things up at even strength midway through the third period. A Johnny Gaudreau slap shot was tipped in front by Elias Lindholm to make it 3-3.

But the Flames snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, as Backlund took a late penalty and Evgeny Kuznetsov came in on a rush and beat Smith with a short-side wrist shot to make it 4-3 Capitals. The play looked close to being off-side, but the Flames didn’t challenge it – and from the replays available, it looked like it would be tough to overturn.

Shots were 11-10 Capitals and chances were 5-4 Capitals.

The Flames were chasing for the entire game, and deservedly so. They didn’t play a consistent game and they got caught flat-footed at the wrong times – they gave up goals in the last minute of the first, the first minute of the second and the last minute of the third. That’s rarely a recipe for success.

It’s easy to blame Smith. He gave up four goals, one which was directly a result of puck-handling and another due to some iffy rebound control. But the team in front of Smith seemed to lose the plot in their own zone far too often.

Lastly, the Flames really needed something out of their power play tonight. If they manage to get a goal earlier in the third period on one of their PPs, it’s a completely different game.

Backlund, just for that goal. Wowzers.

That said, Backlund’s late third period penalty was a bad penalty to take at a horrible time. The Flames managed to keep the Capitals PP off the board prior to that, but you cannot afford to give them four advantages in a game and expect to win.

Over in Detroit, the Red Wings retired Red Kelly’s number. Kelly is Mark Jankowski’s great-uncle.

The Flames (33-14-5) are off to scenic Raleigh, North Carolina – home of museums. They play the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, just prior to the Super Bowl.