Calgary Flames: Five games to circle in your calendar for 2017-18
By Ramina Shlah
Game #2 – CGY @ ANA – Oct. 09, 2017
I’m so sick of the Honda Center.
The Calgary Flames have had this stinking Honda Center curse on them for over a decade now. They haven’t won a regular season game in Anaheim against the Ducks since 2004 and a playoff game there since 2006. Their last regular season win came on January 19th, 2004.
The last time the Flames won a game there, Matthew Tkachuk was just six years old.
Their first game at the Honda Center comes early this year – just three games in. So the Flames have a chance early on to try and break this record. Last year, they broke an NHL record by getting their 24th consecutive loss at the Honda Center – now a record for most consecutive losses in one building. Which means it’s not a real curse or anything (it’s a real curse).
Related Story: The decade long curse of the Honda Center
But, there may be a turning point this year.
In his last four starts in the Honda Center, Mike Smith is 2-1-1 with a 1.69 GAA and .950 SV%.
— Darren Haynes (@DarrenWHaynes) June 18, 2017
Now that's what I call a deal clincher.
Mike Smith, who probably gave Flames fans the most amount of anxiety before the season started, was incredible in their final exhibition game and in their first game of the season when the team wasn’t. In a 3-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the season opener (sorry for bringing it up), Mike Smith stopped 42 of 44 shots earning him the second star of the game. He was easily the best player on the ice for the Flames.
The Flames did have that exciting 8-3 win against the Ducks last year in December at the Saddledome in Johnny Gaudreau‘s return to the Flames lineup after missing ten games with an injury. With five goals coming in six minutes in the second period. Let’s hope they can do something similar… just in a different building.
Will Mike Smith be the reason the Flames finally break this stupid curse? Looks like we’ll have to wait and find out.