Post-Game Wrap-Up: Flames look lost against Chicago

The Calgary Flames returned home from their western swing hoping to maintain the consistency that won them three games on their trip. Instead, their habitual inconsistency reared its ugly head. The Flames were at times both quite good and frighteningly bad in an 8-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Flames started chasing early. Michael Stone mis-read a bouncing puck and it blooped past him as he tried to hold it in. That allowed Jonathan Toews time and space to grab the puck, race up the ice and deposit a wrister past David Rittich to make it 1-0 Chicago just 30 seconds into the game.

The home side answered back, though. After a nice bit of cycling by the third line, Dillon Dube’s attempted shot from the face-off circle was deflected off a defender’s stick right to Sam Bennett for a net-side tap-in to tie the game at 1-1.

But Chicago answered back. Sean Monahan took a penalty. As the power play expired, Stone got a bit spun around trying to defend Toews and Patrick Kane. That allowed Toews to find Dominik Kubalik at the front of the net for a tap-in to make it 2-1 Chicago.

But the Flames responded back before the end of the period. Dube made a superb pass to spring Bennett on a breakaway. He went top shelf on Robin Lehner to tie the game at 2-2.

Shots were 12-8 Chicago and scoring chances 6-6 in the opening period.

The game got away from the Flames in the second period.

A few minutes in the home side got hemmed into their own end. Some cycling by Chicago got the defensive coverage a bit crossed-up, with allowed Kane to find Brandon Saad at the side of the net. He had approximately 100 years to make a shot and beat Rittich five-hole to make it 3-2 Chicago.

A little bit later Chicago got a gift. Dube attempted to pass into the high slot for an outlet. Alex Nylander intercepted the pass and beat Rittich to make it 4-2 Chicago. That spelled the end of Rittich’s evening and Cam Talbot came in to finish things off.

Changing goalies gave the Flames some momentum for awhile. After a few good pressure shifts, some cross-zone passing led to Elias Lindholm tapping in a Johnny Gaudreau feed to cut Chicago’s lead to 4-3.

But a pair of quick Chicago goals put them well ahead. First, Rasmus Andersson was left all alone to battle for a puck with a pair of Blackhawks. Oliver Kylington at first under-committed – which was fine, since his positioning blocked passes out front – but then he decided to help out Andersson after he had already lost the puck, which allowed a quick pass to Alex Debrincat for a tap-in to make it 5-3 Chicago.

27 seconds later, Matthew Tkachuk lost his man behind the net which allowed Matthew Highmore to find Nylander in the slot for another quick shot that beat Talbot to make it 6-3 Chicago.

Shots were 14-7 Flames and scoring chances 7-6 Chicago in the second period.

The Flames tried to make a game of it in the third period. Lindholm got his second of the game on a late power play to cut Chicago’s lead to 6-4 – one of the Blackhawks’ penalty killers lost his stick and ran to the bench to grab a new one, making it a de facto five-on-three when the goal was scored.

But that’s as close as they managed to get. Kane added a gimme – while Talbot was starting to head tot the bench – with just over three minutes to play to make it 7-4 Chicago. Kirby Dach added a late goal, tucking away a loose rebound, to make it an 8-4 Chicago win.

Shots were 20-9 Flames and scoring chances 11-2 Flames in the third period.

This game felt very similar to the recent losses to Edmonton, San Jose, Nashville and Los Angeles. Their defensive zone coverage was spotty and their puck management a tad cavalier at times. That def habitual defensive inconsistency gave the Hawks the puck at key times in key places, and their skilled players made them pay.

Bennett got a pair of goals, so hooray for him. Taking the place of Derek Ryan, the team’s most consistently good center, he was full marks.

The Flames battled back after their goalie change and got a goal to creep within one. Then they allowed two goals within 27 seconds and weren’t in the game any longer.

Data via Natural Stat Trick. Percentage stats are 5v5.

The Flames have 66 points. A 95 point playoff pace through 60 games prorates to 69.5 points, so they’re 3.5 points off a likely playoff pace with 23 games to go.

The Flames (30-24-6) practice tomorrow. They host the Anaheim Ducks in a holiday matinee game on Monday.