Calgary Flames takeaways from loss to Ducks: Same old story

In the 4-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks last night, the Calgary Flames are basically out of the playoffs. Let’s check out some takeaways from the game.

After the loss to the Arizona Coyotes the other night, while it was still possible for the Calgary Flames to make the playoffs, it was still possible. Now, they’re basically done for. With the loss to the Anaheim Ducks last night, it’s nearly impossible for them to make it.

Even if they were to win every single game from here on out, they’ll finish the season with 94 points. A claim is that you need 95 points at least to make the playoffs.

Let’s check out some takeaways from the loss to the Ducks last night.

Related Story: Flames lose 4-0 to Ducks

Same old story

For the ninth straight game, the Calgary Flames outshot and outperformed their opponents. But for the fourth straight game, they lost. The last time they had fewer shot attempts and scoring chances at even-strength than their opponents was 11 games ago – almost a month ago against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Flames this season have the third best puck-possession stats when it comes to Corsi. They also have the highest amount of shot-attempts (5v5). But they’ve also hit lots of posts and had lots of shots gone wide. Over 1000, in fact. It’s a mixture of unluckiness and the fact they keep missing the net. But even when they do hit the net and get over 50 shots a game, every single goaltender, especially backups, decide to be the world’s best goaltender against the Flames.

I’m not saying this is what happened last night, but they had some decent chances that also couldn’t find the back of the net.

Mike Smith… again

Since the start of February, Mike Smith hasn’t been his regular self. Or maybe he has been and we’re finally getting a glimpse of that now. We wrote about him for the takeaways in the game against the Coyotes too, but he’s been letting in some bad and weak goals. Ever since he came back from injury, he basically has cost the Flames three games, stole them another, and was sort of in the middle for another.

He has another year left on his contract, but if he can get into his October/November/December Smith self, he’ll be great. But right now, he’s turning into the Mike Smith everyone was worried he would be.

Coaching decisions… again

Yet again, we have some more confusing coaching decisions. First of all, the fact that Mike Smith got the start in net again. Like I mentioned in the takeaways to the loss to the Yotes, David Rittich deserves the start over Smith at this point. He had to relieve Smith again for the second time in a week, yet he hasn’t been getting any of the starts.

If he doesn’t get the start against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, I really don’t understand. I mean I already don’t understand, but you get it.

Another confusing coaching decision was Tanner Glass making it into the lineup. And Kris Versteeg isn’t. Versteeg has played in one game since returning from injury and then has been a scratch the next two games. At first, I thought it may be due to injury and maybe he rushed back, but Glen Gulutzan said that it isn’t injury related.

But I still don’t understand how Glass would make it over Nick Shore.

Again, everything is confusing and I’ve tried defending Gulutzan in the past but I really can’t anymore.

Next: The case for trading prospects

Unfortunately, the Flames season is done, and it’s not like they can look forward to the draft at all since they don’t have a pick until the third round. Oh well. This is going to be a long off-season. At least we have the World Championships.

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