A concerning trend developing since start of Flames recent downturn

A worrying trend associated with scoring first is developing since the Calgary Flames downturn started on December 5. 

Ground zero of Calgary’s recent rot began in Las Vegas on Dec. 5. The Flames lost that contest 3-2 to the Golden Knights. Since that fateful date, the Flames have the third worst winning percentage (.292) in the NHL. Only the Oilers (.267), who got the better of Calgary last night, and the Seattle Kraken (.250) have inferior winning percentages.

There are innumerable factors contributing to the Flames 3-8-1 record since losing in Sin City, but this one is in its infancy and needs to be addressed before it festers.

The Flames losing record when scoring first

Before Dec. 5, you’d be confident betting a tenner on Calgary if they scored first. No matter how well Darryl Sutter’s team is playing, I’m always weary of betting more than that on our beloved Flames.

Between the first game of the season and prior to the Vegas game, Calgary won 13 of the 18 games in which they scored first. Their 13-2-3 record when scoring first was good for a .722 winning percentage, the league’s 11th best.

While a much smaller sample size, Calgary has won just one of four encounters (1-3) when scoring first since Dec. 5. That win, a 5-1 drubbing of the high-flying Panthers, came on Jan. 18. Calgary, as expected based on the minimal amount of games, is tied with the Kraken with the lowest winning percentage in the NHL (.250 winning percentage).

Things looked good for the Flames after the first period in Edmonton last night. They scored first and led 2-0 going into the break. But it never felt like Calgary was truly in control, unlike when they scored first in October and November.

The sample size definitely isn’t large enough to negatively impact Sutter’s sleeping pattern. Though if his team’s inability to hold on to the lead perpetuates, Sutter might become one of Sleep-eze’s most valuable customers.