Post-Game: Blown Lead Pushes Flames To The Brink

Game 3 between the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks was the 2016-17 Flames season in a nutshell. They played really well through the first 35 minutes of the game, giving themselves a 4-1 lead. Then they allowed a late goal and gradually their lead evaporated before their very eyes as Murphy’s Law reared its head in a big, big way.

The Flames lost a 5-4 overtime heartbreaker to the Ducks. You can say all you want about how the goals managed to get into the back of their net, but teams that succeed in the playoffs just don’t blow big leads. From the thrilling first period and a half to their defensive zone calamities, this game was a highlight reel for this year’s edition of the Flames – for better and for worse.

The first period was the start the Flames have needed all series. They got a ton of shots early. They skated really well in the first 10 or 12 minutes of the period. When they did, they gave the Ducks fits and generated a lot of scoring chances and penalties from their frustrated opponents.

Matt Bartkowski beat Nick Ritchie to a loose puck in the first two minutes and got knocked down, drawing an interference penalty. On the ensuing power play, Johnny Gaudreau corralled his own rebound and initiated a nice tic-tac-toe passing play by which Troy Brouwer found Sean Monahan out front for a tap-in and a 1-0 lead.

The Ducks killed off a Korbinian Holzer holding penalty, but after Hampus Lindholm crashed into Brian Elliott the Flames’ power play unit struck again. A T.J. Brodie point shot was followed by a goal-mouth scramble, which ended with Kris Versteeg knocking the loose puck past John Gibson to make it 2-0.

The Flames slowed down a tad as the period went on, and Nick Ritchie made it 2-1 by beating the Flames defenders to a big rebound off an Antoine Vermette wrister from way out. The Ducks couldn’t muster much more before the buzzer, though. Shots were 11-6 in the first in favour of the Flames.

The second period was fairly even early on, but the Flames took advantage of some chances early on to extend their lead. They made it 3-1 off a broken play and some heads up play by their blueliners. A T.J. Brodie point shot bounced off a defender and went right back to the point for Michael Stone to rifle through traffic and beat Gibson to make it 3-1.

Midway through the period, the Flames generated yet another power play with speed through the neutral zone. Holzer took a second minor of the game hooking Johnny Gaudreau on a partial breakaway. While the first (Brouwer) power play unit couldn’t generate very much, Sam Bennett made nice plays at both ends of the offensive zone to start and finish a scoring play. He dipsy-doodled into the zone at the blueline, dished the puck off, and then deflected Mark Giordano’s point shot past Gibson to make it 4-1 and end the Anaheim starter’s evening a tad early.

The Ducks got one back late in the period off a goal that Elliott probably wants back. Shea Theodore sauntered into the Flames zone and beat Elliott glove-side with a wrist shot from the circles to cut the Flames lead to 4-2. Shots were 13-8 in favour of Calgary in the second.

Anaheim built on their finish to the third by continuing to push the Flames, who went from playing an aggressive defensive period to hanging back. The Ducks made the most of the chances, much to the chagrin of the home crowd. Nate Thompson deflected a Hampus Lindholm point shot past Elliott, squeaking between his legs, to make it 4-3. Theodore got his second of the night a few minutes later, with his point shot eluding Elliott through traffic to make it 4-4. Elliott protested and seemed to think he was interfered with, but nobody was anywhere near him or the crease when the puck went in. Shots were 12-8 Anaheim in the third period.

90 seconds into bonus hockey, Corey Perry chucked a puck at the net. It bounced around, hit Stone in his backside and went past Elliott to end this one via a 5-4 score for the Ducks. It was the only shot on net in overtime.

The Flames did a lot of good things for the first two periods. They skated well. They passed well. They won battles. They beat the Ducks to every loose puck. They drew penalties.

And then? They stopped doing those things, while the Ducks made a bunch of adjustments. The Flames stopped being able to clear out pucks with regularity. They stood around in the defensive zone and took away their goalie’s ability to track pucks. They stopped skating. They stopped winning battles. And their goaltender couldn’t come up with a save when his team needed him to late in the game.

The Flames were good enough to have a 4-1 lead by the midpoint of this game. After that? Due to what they stopped doing and how they didn’t adjust to what Anaheim was doing, they were bad enough to blow their lead to smithereens.

Can I cop out and just say “the third period”? The Flames went from flat to downright lacklustre right before our very eyes. As they did so, their lead collapsed like a poorly constructed house of cards.

If I have to pick a singular moment, let’s go with Theodore’s first goal. It was a floater that beat Elliott glove-side late in the second. It wasn’t even a terribly interesting scoring chance, but it seemed to indicate just how off his game Calgary’s top ‘tender was on this night. It ultimately turned out to be a portent of doom for the home side.

Bennett was probably the best player in red tonight. His line (with Chiasson and Versteeg) was superb in the first two periods and pretty decent in the third. Everybody else? They were worse.

No Flames skater had a positive plus/minus:

The Flames practice tomorrow as they prepare for a big Game 4 showdown with the Ducks at the Saddledome on Wednesday evening with their playoff survival on the line.