Flames 3, Oilers 2 post-game embers: There was something left

Beat Edmonton. Lose every single game. Get eliminated from the playoffs. Beat Edmonton again. Worth it?

Apathy is probably the worst state a sport can evoke in a person. If you’re happy, you’re invested. If you’re sad, you’re invested. If you’re mad, you’re invested! If you’re apathetic you’re nothing and you’ve just wasted three hours of your life sitting there, staring blankly at a screen.

The Flames have given great reason to leave their fanbase without feeling. Once it became beyond obvious they were not going to make the playoffs – once they started losing, in embarrassing fashion, to other Pacific teams, in particular the Coyotes driving the first prominent nail in the coffin – there has been no reason to care, and the play on the ice reflected that.

And all it took to reverse those fortunes was the puck finally, finally going in the net. We gratefully accept Cam Talbot’s generous contributions.

The Flames have a team-wide shooting percentage of 7.8 this season. Only the Sabres (7.7) and Canadiens (7.66) have had it worse. That’s despite being a top two (CF/60, HDCF/60), top five (SCF/60), and top six (SF/60) team throughout the season. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a good team, but it does mean they create a lot, and have had next to nothing to show for it the entire year. That’s a big part of the reason why they’ve been so frustrating.

Over the past week-ish, Dougie Hamilton has had shots rings off the crossbar and go down the ice, resulting in a goal against. This time, his shot went in (and he hit another post for good measure). Garnet Hathaway isn’t an offensive force at the NHL level at all, and shouldn’t be expected to be one, but he also went 41 games without a goal before his shorthanded shot went off the post and actually in. With the team-wide luck you’d have thought it would go off one post, travel along the goal line, go off the other post, and out, rather than something productive happening. It’s just been that kind of year, and it’s been miserable.

Sure, they got dummied in the second period, but once something actually went right for this group they had something to play for. It doesn’t have to be all bad, but it was really, really bad for a solid two weeks there.

The aforementioned Hamilton leads all NHL defencemen in goals with 17, and is second to only Brent Burns in shots (262). His 44 points make for the second best year of his career, behind only last season’s 50-point campaign. Just imagine if he gets used properly (i.e. top two minutes, top defenceman on the powerplay) for an entire season!

I know I’m saying this after every game, but I love Nick Shore with all my heart. Love him. Love him love him love him. He plays a hard, smart game and I sincerely look forward to seeing him night in, night out next season in a reduced role. It’s a shame he hasn’t been able to pick up any points yet – he’s come close a couple of times, including last night – because he deserves them. Just keeps putting himself in good position. Awesome pickup for a seventh rounder.

Spencer Foo made his NHL debut with an organization devoid of right wings, and got to play with Johnny Gaudreau immediately. There were chances established, including what could have been a great tap-in for a first NHL goal had the pass connected. Still, in his first ever game he drew a penalty, registered a shot on net, and got 1:20 of powerplay time, part of a total 12:45, sixth in forward ice time. The lineup is decimated, sure, but it’d be good to see him play out the stretch high up in the group. Because, again, no right wingers.

Brett Kulak was aggressive, Rasmus Andersson was collected, and however the Flames’ defence shapes up next season, they’ve got options because of these two. The former has been taking a regular shift over the course of the year and has gotten increasingly confident because of it; if the latter gets the same chance, he’ll probably get there, too.

Mike Smith was great to close things out, but that first goal against was totally on him and there was no reason it had to happen. He can be really good at making you forget about that kind of stuff as the game goes on, but it would really help to not have that kind of stuff to begin with.

Connor McDavid’s most common opponents were Michael Frolik and Mikael Backlund. He had a 37.5% 5v5 CF when he shared the ice with them. He was at 100% 5v5 CF away from them. They were the only two Flames to have multi-point nights. Both points came with him on the ice. It’s been a rough ride, sure, but this team would be absolutely screwed without players of their caliber. For the sixth season in a row – or, roughly, since the Flames decided to start taking him seriously – Backlund has been, at worst, a half-a-point-per-game player. Frolik has had an uncharacteristically poor year, though it probably isn’t his fault (and the broken jaw probably didn’t help matters either). Part of the original optimism for this season was because of what these guys can do; evidently, that ability is still kicking around.

It’s nice to see, when they feel like it, that the Flames can compete with a team on their level (that is to say, one of the worst ones in the NHL). They had flashes earlier in the season wherein they could compete with really good teams, too. It would be oh so nice to see that consistently next season. Because while this was a nice feel good bump, there’s still a week to go before this overall horrid year is finally put out of its misery, and we can’t really forget how things ultimately played out. That isn’t how one learns from one’s mistakes.