Eight forwards on the hunt for elusive first goal
They’re the Unproductive Eight.
There’s plenty of company, but this is a club that nobody wants to be a part of.
These are, after all, the eight Calgary Flames forwards — yeah, eight of ’em — who have yet to score a goal so far this fall.
“I’m not used to starting a season like this. It’s never happened before,” said Sam Bennett, arguably the most skilled of this goalless gang. “Obviously, as much as you try to tell yourself, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ it’s still going to be there. So I’ll take one however I can get it.
“I would be happy to take one off my back or off my skate. I don’t care.”
Bennett had a golden opportunity to bail out of this bad-luck bunch with a breakaway Sunday against the New Jersey Devils.
He fired a low shot. Devils backup Keith Kinkaid flashed his left pad.
Bennett swatted the rebound, but Kinkaid wasn’t fooled. Right pad this time.
The Flames (8-6-0) cranked up their fire-breathing goal lamps in a 5-4 shootout triumph over the Devils and have now skated to three straight wins on home ice, but the higher-ups at the Saddledome must still be losing sleep over their lack of secondary scoring.
Or, as Curtis Lazar summed up without sugar coating when asked about the issue: “Secondary scoring? What’s that?”
Sunday’s offence came courtesy of top-six forwards Sean Monahan, Micheal Ferland and Michael Frolik, who each had a goal and a helper, while defenceman Michael Stone cashed in a blast from the blue-line.
The Unproductive Eight were shut out. Again.
With their depth guys shooting blanks, only seven forwards — Monahan (8), Ferland (4), Mikael Backlund (4), Johnny Gaudreau (3), Matthew Tkachuk (3), Frolik (2) and Kris Versteeg (2) — have scored for the Flames this fall.
By contrast, the Anaheim Ducks have 14 different forwards who have scored at least once so far.
Ditto the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals.
Fourteen! That’s twice as many as the Flames.
The only other squads in single digits?
Just nine of the Nashville Predators’ forwards have found the back of the net.
A few hours north, eight of the Edmonton Oilers’ cast of forwards have tallied. The Oilers, averaging 2.31 goals per game, are the only outfit less productive offensively than the crew from Calgary (2.36).
“Our secondary scoring throughout hasn’t been what it needs to be, and that’s why I think our team scoring is at the bottom of the league,” said Flames alternate captain Troy Brouwer. “We’re finding ways to win, but I feel like, if we could find that secondary scoring, a couple of us chipping in here and there, we would be a little better than just above .500.
“It can be trying at times, but we have to try to stay with it, try to stay positive. And the biggest thing is not to get away from doing the things that make you successful as a player, and then those chances will come. And when you get chances, you have to make sure they go in the net.”
Of the Unproductive Eight, only Bennett and Brouwer have been in the Flames’ lineup for all 14 contests.
Matt Stajan (12 GP) and Curtis Lazar (10 GP) have also suited up for the majority of contests, while Tanner Glass — exposed Monday on the NHL’s waiver wire — has played half of the schedule and Mark Jankowski has logged six showings since his recall from the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat.
Injured legend Jaromir Jagr is third on the NHL’s all-time scoring list, but he’s still shooting for his first goal wearing the Flaming C. The 45-year-old has been limited to five appearances since signing in Calgary and has missed six straight games due to a wonky groin, but it’s possible he could return for Tuesday’s clash against the Vancouver Canucks at the Saddledome (7 p.m., Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).
Freddie Hamilton is also goalless, although that’s hardly a surprise since he mostly works the morning shift. He’s been scratched for all but two games so far.
There were close calls Sunday for this frustrated flock. Bennett’s breakaway. Jankowski robbed on a longrange wrister.
Stajan deserves credit for providing the screen on Stone’s slapper.
But there are still way too many goose eggs in the goal column. Since they mostly skate together on the third and fourth units, the Unproductive Eight have combined for a grand total of six assists.
“You know the best part about it? Yeah, they haven’t scored. We have a whole bunch of guys that haven’t scored,” said Flames bench boss Glen Gulutzan, preferring to look at the bright side after Monday’s optional practice.
“But they’re going to score. We all know that. There are 82 games, and some of those eight are going to score.
“The fact they haven’t scored and we’re still in decent shape right now is encouraging. They’re going to come out of it. They’re getting chances. And when they do, I think our team is just that much better.”
Indeed, the Unproductive Eight will eventually become the Snakebitten Seven, the Slumping Six, the Misfiring Five and so on.
“You have to try to feed off of that,” Brouwer said.
“If it’s a guy who hasn’t scored in a little while, a guy who hasn’t scored at all this year, you get excited to see those guys score, because it’s success for everybody. It’s community success, which is what we’re looking for.”