HOW THEY FLAMED OUT
A look at the season’s highs and lows
Oct. 4: Just hours before puck-drop on opening night, the Flames add a whole lot of star-power to their roster with the signing of long-haired legend Jaromir Jagr. The 45-yearold right-winger, second on the NHL’s all-time scoring list, inks a one-year deal worth US$1-million before bonuses. That night, the Flames lose their opener against Edmonton Oilers 3-0 with Connor McDavid scoring all three goals.
Oct. 7: The home-opener at the Saddledome turns into TJ Brodie Appreciation Night, with the smoothskating defenceman scoring twice and adding a pair of helpers to lead the locals to a 6-3 doubling of the Winnipeg Jets.
Oct. 9: Thanks to a brick-wall performance by off-season trade acquisition Mike Smith, who pitches a 43-save shutout, the Flames win 2-0 squeaker against the Ducks as the crew from Calgary ends a string of 29 straight setbacks in Anaheim’s Honda Center.
Oct. 14: Calgary’s captain, Mark Giordano, hits a milestone marker in a 5-2 victory over the Canucks in Vancouver, becoming only the fourth blue-liner to score 100 times on behalf of the Flames franchise, joining Al MacInnis, Gary Suter and Paul Reinhart.
Oct. 23: After a solid showing in training camp and then a stellar start for the AHL’s Stockton Heat, centre Mark Jankowski is recalled from the farm club. No return ticket is necessary.
Nov. 2: Smith stops 43 pucks to lead the home-side to a 2-1 overtime triumph against some dude named Crosby and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions from Pittsburgh. “That was one of the best goalie performances I’ve seen in a long time,” raves Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan.
Nov. 9: Jankowski buries his first big-league goal in the early stages of a 6-3 rout of the Detroit Red Wings. Later, Jagr finishes off a sweet feed from Gaudreau for his 766th career counter. That would turn out to be Jagr’s only tally in Flames silks.
Nov. 15: The Flames are thumped in their rematch with the Red Wings, embarrassed by an 8-2 score-line at Little Caesars Arena. After a third-period skirmish, Detroit’s Luke Witkowski is being escorted toward the tunnel when Flames sparkplug Matthew Tkachuk delivers a light whack to the back of his leg, prompting the tough guy to return to the ice. Witkowski is slapped with an automatic 10-game suspension, while Tkachuk receives a one-game ban for his role. Nov. 18: Sharpshooting centre Sean Monahan notches his first career hat trick, potting three power-play goals in a span of 8:49 as the Flames scratch out a 5-4 overtime triumph against the Philadelphia Flyers. Nov. 20: Gaudreau keys the Flames to a 4-1 win over the Capitals in Washington, extending his goalscoring spree to six consecutive games and hitting double digits in his career-best point streak.
Nov. 25: Recalled one day earlier from AHL Stockton, new backup plan David Rittich helps the Flames to a 3-2 victory in Colorado in his first career start.
Nov. 30: With a 3-0 blanking of the Arizona Coyotes, the Flames wrap November with an 8-4-1 record. With 17 points in the standings. It would be their most productive month of the season.
Dec. 2: The final score doesn’t look so bad, but the Flames dig a fivegoal deficit in what winds up as a 7-5 loss to the archrival Oilers at the Saddledome. Gulutzan’s post-game comments are revealing. “What we really have to evaluate with our group is what emotional level are we at when we play big games?” says the Flames bench boss.
Dec. 6: Again … already? During a 2-1 shootout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the centre of the hockey universe, Tkachuk tries to sneakily spear Matt Martin from the bench. The next day, the Flames sophomore sparkplug is dinged with another one-game suspension.
Dec. 22: The Flames admit to being out-worked in a 3-2 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens, their final outing before the holiday break. As Santa packs up his sleigh, they sit one point out of the playoff picture in the NHL’s Western Conference.
Dec. 23: One of Calgary’s prized prospects, Kelowna Rockets forward Dillon Dube, is selected to captain Team Canada at the world juniors in Buffalo. Meanwhile, Flames first-rounder Juuso Valimaki wears the ‘C’ for Finland and fellow defenceman Adam Fox dons an ‘A’ for Team USA.
Jan. 5: After back-to-back victories, Gulutzan gives his troops an earful during a sloppy practice at the Saddledome, punctuating his profanity-filled outburst by heaving his stick into the stands. A sampling? “I’ve seen one good game from some of you (bleeping) veteran guys. Let’s (bleeping) practise. Let’s go!”
Jan. 14: With a 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes in Carolina, the Flames hit their CBA-mandated bye on a seven-game winning streak, not an ideal stopping point for a midseason vacation. The top line of Gaudreau, Monahan and Micheal Ferland combines for 10 goals and 32 points during the surge.
Jan. 20-25: Between their bye and the all-star break, the Flames settle for a loser point in four consecutive close calls: two overtime defeats and two shootout setbacks. What’s especially frustrating is they owned an early lead in each of those losses. “One point isn’t satisfying enough for us right now,” Tkachuk bristles after the third of four straight bummers.
Jan. 27-28: Gaudreau and Smith represent the Pacific Division at the 2018 NHL All-Star Game in Tampa. The 24-year-old Gaudreau skates in the mid-season showcase for the fourth straight winter, while the 35-year-old Smith becomes just the third Flames goalie to earn an invite to the annual festivities.
Jan. 29: It’s goodbye to one of the all-time greats as Jagr clears waivers and returns home to skate for HC Kladno in the Czech Republic. On the injured list since the calendar flipped to the New Year, No. 68 finishes with just one goal and seven points in 22 appearances for the Flames.
Jan. 30: The Flames are less than two minutes away from closing out a statement win over the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights at the Saddledome. Instead, an uncharacteristic turnover by Michael Frolik turns into the tying tally and the Golden Knights score three times in a span of 53 seconds to completely flip the script.
Feb. 3-8: Monahan snipes the gamewinning goal in three straight decisions, although he falls short of matching the league record with a run of four in a row.
Feb. 11: The Flames rally for a 3-2 come-from-behind victory against the New York Islanders in Brooklyn, but it’s not all good news. Smith goes butterfly to face a shot with just 1.1 seconds left on the clock but doesn’t bounce back up after the buzzer sounds. There is initially optimism, but the all-star goalie misses four weeks with a groin injury and his squad struggles to a 5-6-2 record during his absence.
Feb. 16: Shutdown centre Mikael Backlund puts his signature on a six-year contract extension worth US$5.35-million per winter.
Feb. 17: Flames rearguard Dougie Hamilton is the lone bright spot in a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers, becoming only the third defenceman to register a hat trick in Calgary’s colours. Dana Murzyn and MacInnis are the others.
Feb. 26: The Flames add a couple of depth forwards prior to the NHL’s annual trade deadline, claiming right-winger Chris Stewart on waivers from the Minnesota Wild and welcoming centre Nick Shore in a minor swap with the Ottawa Senators.
Feb. 27-March 2: The Flames lose three straight in regulation for first time all season.
March 11: With the Flames fighting to stay relevant in the playoff race, Smith returns to the home crease for a matinee against the Isles. It’s an entirely different kind of painful: he allows three goals on the first seven shots fired his direction en route to a 5-2 defeat. To make matters worse, the Flames lose another key piece as Tkachuk suffers a suspected concussion when he tumbles into the boards.
March 13: Smith is superb and Jobu makes a second appearance as the Flames end a seven-game skid in the Battle of Alberta rivalry with a 1-0 shutout against the Oilers.
March 16: In a crucial division contest, the Flames surrender four goals to San Jose Sharks deadlineday acquisition Evander Kane. Ouch! It’s the first of seven straight losses as Gaudreau, Giordano & Co. plummet out of the playoff picture.
March 21: Fourth-line centre and veteran voice-of-reason Matt Stajan joins the NHL’s silver-stick club, reaching the 1,000-game plateau.
March 26: With their third gooseegg in a five-game stretch, the latest a 3-0 blanking from the Los Angeles Kings, the Flames are mathematically eliminated. “It’s kind of like when your dad says, ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed,’ ” Smith says. “It’s a feeling of disappointment, like you’re letting the city of Calgary down, you’re letting the organization down.”
April 7: Losers of nine of the past 10, the Flames will host the Pacific Division pennant-winning Golden Knights in their finale. The Saddledome-dwellers enter Saturday’s action with a 36-35-10 record, sitting 20th in the NHL.