Rocky Mountain low for frustrated Flames
Avs erupt for five straight goals to deal another blow to Calgary’s playoff hopes
DENVER They lost the game. They lost their cool.
If this keeps up, the Calgary Flames could lose their way in the playoff race.
The Flames unravelled in Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center, surrendering five unanswered goals and not exactly hiding their frustrations.
As their heart and soul, Mark Giordano, had stressed after Tuesday’s defeat in Dallas, it’s hard to digest consecutive losses at this crucial time of the season.
And what about back-to-back setbacks against other squads in the wild-card race in the NHL’s Western Conference?
Gulp.
The Flames remain one point out of a playoff perch, although there was plenty of cause for concern Wednesday.
Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik staked the crew from Calgary to a two-goal lead in the Mile High City, but the hosts responded with five unanswered tallies to flip the script. The Avs have now won a dozen of their past 13 contests at Pepsi Center.
The Flames lost their heads, too. For the second night in a row, coach Glen Gulutzan was dinged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Meanwhile, reigning Lady Byng Trophy winner Johnny Gaudreau was also penalized for an interaction with a referee. Furious after being called for embellishment afterasticktohisneckarea,hewas slapped with a 10-minute misconduct.
Despite Wednesday’s rotten ending, Backlund wouldn’t mind seeing this Rocky Mountain rival more often.
In three outings against the Avs this season, the Flames’ second line centre piled up three goals and seven points.
Backlund put the first ink on Wednesday’s scoresheet, swiping a bouncing puck from Avalanche power play quarterback Tyson Barrie and then cashing in on the short-handed breakaway with a dandy deke to his backhand.
He combined with his cronies on the 3M Line to double the lead early in the second. Backlund intercepted a breakout, spied Matthew Tkachuk at the far post and then joined the celebration after the sophomore set up Frolik with a quick touch pass.
That’s when the ice tilted.
Big time.
With Tkachuk banished for two minutes for a boneheaded holding penalty, Avs star Nathan MacKinnon wired a wrister past Flames starter David Rittich from the left circle.
The locals had all the momentum after that.
Just 68 seconds after MacKinnon’s goal, defenceman Nikita Zadorov waltzed into enemy territory and found daylight on the glove side for an unassisted strike.
Then, with the squads playing four aside, Barrie capped a flurry of three goals in a span of 4:17, finishing from gimme range after a crosscrease setup by Mikko Rantanen.
The clock couldn’t tick fast enough for the visitors to end a miserable middle stanza, with speedy Matt Nieto also scoring for Colorado before the break.
The Flames now return home for Friday’s date with the New York Rangers (7 p.m., Sportsnet West/ Sportsnet 960 The Fan).
Ice chips: There is some good news, Flames fans. G Mike Smith was on the ice Wednesday in Calgary. The 35-year-old workhorse has missed the past nine games due to a lowerbody injury.