Another Flameout puts Flyer losing skid on ice
And here you thought the Calgary Flames were going to rebound from Saturday’s embarrassing 7-5 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Not even close. Instead, they followed up that performance — a clash that had head coach Glen Gulutzan seriously questioning his team’s ability to harness its nervous energy in big games — with an equally embarrassing 5-2 loss to the visiting Philadelphia Flyers on home ice.
Don’t look now, but the Flames have dropped to 7-8-0 in their own building and lost three of four games on this homestand.
Coincidentally, it was fan appreciation night.
The worst of it came in the middle of the second period when the visitors scored three goals in 71 seconds. It was the second consecutive game the Flames have allowed that to happen on home ice.
The collapse had an epic feel to it, especially because the Flyers hadn’t notched a win in 10 games and opened their w estern Canadian road swing with their coach’s future in jeopardy, while their intense fan base demanded an implosion of the team.
Flames fans might be feeling the same way soon.
They started filing out with 12:56 left in the third period, shortly after Mike Smith allowed a fifth goal. Scott Laughton did the damage with 1:51 elapsed.
To make matters worse, Travis Hamonic was ejected nine seconds later after the Flames defender looked to have lowered his shoulder into Dale Weise by the Flames’ bench. Matthew Tkachuk served a five-minute match penalty, which the Flames killed off.
The entire play demonstrated just how frustrated this group is. With the loss, the Flames dropped to 14-12-1 and head out on the road for back-to-back games at Toronto and Montreal Wednesday and Thursday.
Brian Elliott was making the first appearance in his former place of employment. He made 43 saves in the team’s first victory since Nov. 9 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The former Flames netminder was apparently channelling the February/March version of himself. Back then, the future in Calgary was bright when he backstopped the Flames through a 10game winning streak en route to the playoffs.
After 40 minutes, he’d turned aside 33 of 35 Flames shots, while Smith allowed four on 15.
Tied 1-1 heading into the second period, Shayne Gostisbehere’s slapshot, credited to Scott Laughton, was the first to trickle in at 7:31.
Then a Flames turnover created a 2-on-1 with Hamonic and allowed for Jakub Voracek to set up Michael Raffl for the Flyers’ third of the night at 7:56.
Then at 8:42, Wayne Simmonds made it 4-1 on a Flyers power play after a bogus high-sticking infraction.
Philadelphia scored nine seconds into Calgary’s penalty kill.
It was a sudden change of the tide as Calgary came out flying to start the second period with two chances coming from Sam Bennett and Jaromir Jagr.
Johnny Gaudreau made a nice play to turn the puck up ice when he got a stick on a pass between Ivan Provorov and Andrew MacDonald. The speedy Flames winger took advantage of a partial breakaway. Elliott saved the shot, but Gaudreau drew a penalty anyway.
The Flames’ first power play of the night went to work, but had nothing to show for it as Elliott shut the door.
The wheels fell off shortly after. Then, getting a second power play before the frame was over, the Flames still couldn’t find the back of the net. This despite Elliott falling over behind the net trying to play the puck midway through the man advantage.
He was excellent in the first period and at one point the shots were 11-4 for the Flames. They didn’t allow a single shot on the Flyers only power play of the opening frame.
Elliott made two excellent stops on Micheal Ferland, said no to a Sean Monahan glove-side shot and also denied four attempts from Frolik.
The Flames return home Saturday for a clash against the Vancouver Canucks.