As the old saying goes, “close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” The Calgary Flames have played well enough over the first 55 games of the 2024-25 season that they’re close to a playoff berth, and they’re very likely going to finish close to the cutline regardless of what side of it they end up on.

Outings like Saturday night’s performance against the Seattle Kraken will play a big part in what side of the line they finish after Game 82 is complete on Apr. 17. And on Saturday night, the Flames were close to playing a very good home game.

But close doesn’t count for much, and the Flames allowed a two goal lead to disappear in the final 10 minutes of the third period before losing 3-2 in overtime.

“We were actually playing a pretty good game until then,” assessed Flames head coach Ryan Huska following the game. “I thought we made a couple poor plays on breakout attempts on that first goal. One initially when the puck was put into the zone and one when we were in coverage behind the net. And then they capitalized on a turnover that we made.”

In the first 10 minutes of the third period, play was close to even as the Flames held their lead and so were the shots: 5-4 Seattle. However, the Kraken started to press and they out-shot the Flames 7-3 in the final 10 minutes of regulation. Two of their shots beat Dustin Wolf to tie the game.

On the first Kraken goal, Rasmus Andersson managed to halt Seattle’s progress behind the net. Mikael Backlund made an attempted pass below the goal line that was intercepted and passed to the point by Andre Burakovsky. Adam Larsson’s point shot was batted down by Backlund’s stick, but Shane Wright jumped on the loose puck in the slot and batted it past Wolf to cut the lead to 2-1.

A few minutes later, Jonathan Huberdeau raced back to cover for a pinching Brayden Pachal as the play turned and a loose puck moved up ice. Huberdeau retrieved it just inside his own blueline, but pressure from Wright and Burakovsky led to a turnover. Burakovsky fired a shot that trickled through Wolf’s pads and into the net to tie the game at 2-2.

The Flames were not credited with a shot on goal in overtime, though they were credited with a missed shot by Huberdeau that was preceded by a cross-check from MacKenzie Weegar on Kraken blueliner Vince Dunn that was prominent enough to merit mention from color commentator Greg Millen on the Sportsnet broadcast. Seconds later, Morgan Frost was called for holding on Dunn, giving the Kraken a power play.

Matty Beniers, with a screen on Wolf, fired a shot past the Flames netminder’s glove to give the visitors a 3-2 comeback win.

“We pissed that one away,” said Weegar. “That one’s a tough one to swallow before the break, especially another big two points. I felt like even get one there doesn’t matter. There was two points for us there to take and we didn’t get it.”

Dunn was booed by the Saddledome faithful while he handled the puck during the Kraken power play, a reflection of a penalty that Flames fans felt wasn’t merited by Frost’s actions.

“I thought it was a soft call, but it’s on us for even being in that situation,” said Huska. “So it’s hard to…we shouldn’t have been in overtime tonight. That’s the way I think it.”

Midway through the third period, the Flames were seemingly destined for a strong finish to their schedule before the break. They had a two-goal lead at home and were rolling their lines. But miscues at bad times saw their lead go up in a puff of smoke, leaving the team to stew about the missed opportunity until the next time they hit the ice for a game on Feb. 23.

The Flames have done a lot of good things over their first 55 games. They’re three points out of a playoff spot in a season where the hockey establishment – and the betting markets – had them as a better bet to be dead-last. But they’re not there yet, and their margin for error in games and in the standings is razor thin.

On Saturday night, the Flames were wondering how they let this game get away from them. If they have too many repeat performances, they may be sitting on the wrong side of the playoff cutline pondering how they let an opportunity to grab a playoff spot slip away.