Post-Game: Flames fall short in Boston

The Calgary Flames played some good hockey for much of Thursday night’s game against the Boston Bruins. But a combination of some rough special terms performances and some iffy goaltending saw them skate away with a 6-4 loss to the Bruins at TD Garden.

The game opened with the Flames taking a minor penalty, then a double minor, which resulted in 1:55 of five-on-three time for Boston. The Flames killed off the five-on-three, then Mark Jankowski had his shorthanded rush stopped but the rebound was knocked in by Michael Frolik to make it 1-0 Flames.

But in the second half of the double minor, the Bruins got one back with their man advantage. John Moore’s shot from the circle found a way through Mike Smith on his stick side, making it a 1-1 hockey game.

The Bruins took a lead later in the period, as Jake DeBrusk redirected a puck past Smith. Oliver Kylington and Rasmus Andersson both played it correctly and had position, but they didn’t tie DeBrusk’s stick up and he managed to redirect David Krejci’s shot to make it 2-1 Boston.

Shots were 11-9 Flames in the first, but scoring chances were 6-5 Bruins.

The Flames tied the game back up early in the second period. Johnny Gaudreau got a breakaway but was stopped by Jaroslav Halak. Elias Lindholm followed him in, though, and poked the loose puck in to make it 2-2. The Bruins challenged the goal, but the ruling was there was no goalie interference.

But 36 seconds later Boston took the lead for good. Torey Krug’s point shot looked like it was going with, but Brad Marchand redirected it past Smith to make it 3-2 Boston. He wasn’t tied up by Travis Hamonic, who had position on Marchand.

Shots were 11-10 Bruins, but chances were 10-6 Flames.

The Bruins got a two goal lead early in the third, as Krug’s dump into the Flames zone bounced off the end-boards and went right to David Pastrnak. He froze Smith, deked around him, and tucked the puck in to make it 4-2 Boston.

But the Flames kept scrapping. Gaudreau snuck a shot in from a bad angle off Halak’s body to make it a 4-3 game.

But the Bruins answered back, as DeBrusk scored off the rush – beating Smith stick side again – to make it 5-3 Boston.

A little bit later, Mikael Backlund beat Halak with a back hand shot off a goal-mouth scramble to make it 5-4.

But that’s as close as the Flames got. Brad Marchand added an empty netter to make it a 6-4 final for Boston.

Shots were 16-7 Flames, chances 13-5 Flames.

First and foremost, this game was basically what’s known as a “schedule loss.” The Flames played the night before in Detroit and came to face a rested team. Every Flame (aside from Austin Czarnik) was playing their second game in roughly 28 hours, with travel. A bit of sloppiness because of fatigue is to be expected.

But the Flames lost for two big reasons: Boston’s special teams were better than their special teams (2 power play goals versus zero from the Flames), while their goaltending was also better than Calgary’s.

The first and third Boston goals weren’t great and were pretty close to identical – shots that beat Smith somehow on the stick-side seemingly through his body.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the fourth goal (the Boston dump-in that rebounded), but Pastrnak did beat out the defenders for the loose puck so that’s probably excusable.

Brad Treliving often jokes that hockey should just be called “goaltending,” because if your team’s goalie is better than mine you’ll probably win. Boston’s goalie was better than Calgary’s, so they won.

Another fine evening from Gaudreau, who had six shots, a goal and an assist. He was dangerous all evening.

The fourth Boston goal gave them a cushion and the confidence to hold on the rest of the way. It was also a tough one to see the Flames give up, coming just 54 seconds into the third period in what had been to that point a one goal game.

Jankowski now leads the NHL in shorthanded points.

The Flames (25-13-4) are off to visit Gritty. They have a matinee game on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.