Post-Game: Flames drop one to the Habs

The Calgary Flames played a strong game of hockey at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday night. But some momentary defensive lapses and sub-par goaltending cost them two points. They lost to the Montreal Canadiens by a 3-2 score.

The Flames had a good start to the first period, generating a lot of offensive zone time but not having it translate into many grade-a scoring chances. The Habs opened the scoring eight minutes into the game, responding to a lengthy sequence in their zone with a rush that ended up stacking Flames bodies below the face-off circles. Brendan Gallagher found Tomas Tatar in the high slot and his wrister through a bit of traffic eluded Mike Smith to make it 1-0 Montreal.

The home side continued to get zone time, but couldn’t turn it into chances or goals. Shots were 13-9 Flames in the opening 20 minutes, while scoring chances were 8-5 for the Canadiens.

The Flames came out in the second and played a very similar game, though their execution was a bit better. Johnny Gaudreau drew an early hooking penalty that put the Flames on the power play. The second power play unit couldn’t generate very much, but the first unit hopped on the ice and were rewarded. With Elias Lindholm screening Carey Price, Matthew Tkachuk’s slap shot from the point found its way through to tie the game at 1-1.

The home side took the lead near the end of the second period. Mark Giordano pinched to keep a loose puck in the Montreal zone. A Habs defender broke their stick and that turned the sequence into a de facto power play for the Flames. TJ Brodie took advantage and went for a skate, eventually finding Tkachuk near the face-off circle to set up a wrist shot that made it 2-1 Flames.

Shots were 19-8 Flames and chances were 14-5 Flames in the second period.

The Flames had more good chances early in the third but couldn’t bury them. Montreal tied the game up midway through the period on a scrambly play. Smith made a couple of initial saves but ended up way out of his crease, allowing Jonathan Drouin to poke the loose puck into the open net to tie the game at 2-2.

Montreal took the lead a few minutes later, as Artturi Lehkonen’s wrist shot from far out trickled through Smith to make it 3-2 for the Habs. The Flames pressed late but couldn’t draw even. Shots were 13-5 Flames and chances were 14-3 Flames.

This game isn’t entirely on the goaltending, but the first and third goals weren’t particularly good goals to give up. They weren’t ten-bell chances and the netminder had fairly clean looks at both of them. To be fair, though, their defensive decision-making was a bit rough at times at this game, especially on the second goal.

The Flames were the better team on this occasion. They had tons of scoring chances. Their special teams were effective. But they couldn’t bury enough of ’em, and this game was close enough that iffy goaltending could sink them.

Tkachuk was superb and had two key goals at key moments of the game. But a lot of Flames had good showings overall.

Lehkonen’s goal, roughly three and a half minutes after Montreal tied it up, really deflated the building. It didn’t help that it was a wrister from the edge of the face-off circle, nor that the Flames had carried play for much of the period to that point.

This was the fourth game that the Flames have played in their retro jerseys this season. They’re 3-1-0.

The Flames held the Habs to nine high-danger chances (per Natural Stat Trick). It’s the eighth game in the past nine that the Flames have held their opponents to fewer than 10 high-danger scoring opportunities.

The Flames (10-8-1) practice tomorrow and then prepare for a visit from the much-maligned Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.