The Calgary Flames turned in an abysmal effort against the Florida Panthers Saturday afternoon, getting shut out for the second straight game 3-0.

It’s a Team Game – Normally I come here, and I try to find some positives or something to build momentum on. Not this time. This is the game that has snapped me and it’s time to really call out some subpar performances that have been going on for a month as well as direct some serious criticism over to the coaching staff.

I have credited Ryan Huska earlier in the year for making sure his guys were working every game, even if they couldn’t quite score the team at least worked their tails off. There was a presumption from my side in that praise that the offence would improve as the year went on – that has not occurred. At this point the 1-2-2 trap in a zero-to-zero game is killing most of the early offence. They do not send someone to pressure the puck carrier in open ice, the Flames sit back in the neutral zone with stationary feet and wonder why they can’t create quick strike turnovers. If the team isn’t as skilled as the Panthers (who just passed the puck masterfully around the Flames neutral zone defence all afternoon) then the Flames sometimes generate a turnover. Due to the stationary element of the defensive structure by the time the team gets on the move they’ve barely got enough time to dump the puck in, let alone find a way to carry it in with possession. If they do get a chance to pass laterally all of that is done above the top of the circles, very few passes are actually attempted into the middle of the ice, and low percentage shot opportunities through traffic are the best quality the Flames typically get. Add in no common sense found for anyone on this roster to find a rebound and you’ve got a team that is practising inept offensive strategies and it’s not helping them.

The coach needs to do something about it – more than just juggling lines too.

Corsi King – Mikael Backlund (58.99 per cent) has been invisible for a very long time. Zero points in his last seven games, thirteen straight without scoring a goal, and a total offensive stat line of three goals and two assists for five points in twenty-two games since Jan. 1. That’s a full season pace of eighteen to nineteen points. There’s been plenty of debate online about the Flames finding a fourth line centre more effective than Kevin Rooney (21.20 per cent) – well how about locating a third line center that doesn’t find himself in a missing persons ad. Blake Coleman (49.07 per cent) – who also has zero points in his last nine games – is not elevating with Backlund anymore. Most nights it seems like they are just trying to survive their own zone. I couldn’t tell you when I expect the offence to re-emerge because it’s been an entire month of them generating very little and spending way too much time in their own zone.

I say that now, after their best game in months, because it still needs to translate into tangible production.

Taken By Chance – Rasmus Andersson (42.33 SCF% || 58.12 HDCF%) found himself on the right side of the high danger battle for the second straight game. It had been a hot minute since that’s happened in consecutive games. MacKenzie Weegar (25.73 per cent || 50.66 per cent) was clearly utilized as the Flames number one defenceman in this one as well. There’s just no offensive support with the other four pure defensive defenceman on their team. Tyson Barrie is gone – so were his legs – and Jake Bean is the only other mobile, puck-moving option the management team has given this roster. There’s individual talent everywhere but nothing is meshing up the way anyone would want it to. Not even call up Ilya Solovyov (25.17 per cent || 25.87 per cent) remains innocent after the low percentage shot that turned directly into the third goal against. I’ll say one thing – any excuse next season as to why Zayne Parekh can’t make this blueline will be completely fabricated. Sure Joel Hanley (23.21 per cent || 34.59 per cent) is better defensively, probably always will be, but I think the team really needs to shift its focus to even more youth, increased speed and better offensive production.

xGF% – Joel Farabee (38.78 per cent) ended up in the coaches dog house in this one. Seeing as he contributed to no high danger offensive chances it was well deserved. He’s on his third or fourth different set of linemates now in less than ten games here so that’s clearly going well. His north-south skills might work better with Ryan Lomberg (4.69 per cent) on an actual forecheck, but I’m also still waiting for him to do something that reminds me he’s scored twenty goals in this league before. Nazem Kadri (29.21 per cent) continues to be a perimeter player. I laugh because all of his biggest goals have come from in the slot but he hardly makes it there, too busy playing keep away along the boards. Sending the puck back to the point rather than driving low and trying to get around someone on the way to the net. Jonathan Huberdeau (45.29 per cent) needs to wake up as well. Gone are the “power” moves he was making when things got hot next to Kadri – he’s been quite passive out there (outside of the Washington match). All of these forwards got cold as soon as February hit. One good game does not give them permission to take the next week off – give the fans a reason to show up and feel like they didn’t waste their time by giving it to you.

(Not posted at time of writing)

In The Crease – Dan Vladar was okay – the team in front of him was worse – but I am not anywhere near ready to call this the best goaltending performance of the year. His rebound control caused many, many of the issues that required him to make diving stops. Ending up face-down on his stomach for two consecutive stoppages of play was my favourite part of this one. That being said, this performance was more than enough the team in front of him should have earned the victory for him. Instead, it was goose egg city – and Carolina Sunday doesn’t seem like the kind of game that will allow the team to reset itself. 2.32 expected goals against at 5v5 with three getting past Vladar.

*Insert imaginary clip of Flames scoring a goal from Robert’s twitter account here*