Quips and Quotes: Flames lose to Jets 3-2 in Game 2

The Calgary Flames lost to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday afternoon by a 3-2 score. The loss evens up their best-of-five Qualifying Round series at 1-1.

Here’s a breakdown of, well, their breakdowns.

In Game 1, the Flames’ power play scored twice on four opportunities. In 7:28 of PP time, they had 10 shots, seven scoring chances and three high-danger chances. It tilted the game towards them.

In Game 2, the Flames’ PP scored zero times on six opportunities. In 10:37 of PP time, they had four shots, four scoring chances and one high-danger chance. It probably cost them the game.

Two key aspects of the Flames’ special teams game seemed lacking. Captain Mark Giordano identified the team’s challenges gaining the zone as a big obstacle. Another one? Face-offs, where the Flames won twice in nine PP draws.

The Jets were missing Mark Scheifele and Bryan Little, two of their best centers. But you could be forgiven if you thought the Flames were missing their top pivots, as the Flames were not great at the dot.

Here’s a snapshot of the team’s most-used face-off takers:

The Flames won 56% of third period draws, but it was too little, too late.

Via Natural Stat Trick, here’s a list of the NHL’s teams that spent the most time (in any game state) trailing:

Of all the NHL’s 24 post-season teams, the Flames spent the most time chasing. It’s probably no small wonder that they allowed the first goal in each of the first two games and never had a lead in Game 2.

The Flames need to shake off their slow starts. They trailed after 20 minutes in Game 1 and 2, and that’s obviously not a recipe for success in this series.