Resurfacing themes Calgary Flames need to address after loss to Caps

Calgary fell to 8-2-7 in one-goal games

The Flames’ record in one-goal games must concern Sutter and the rest of his coaching staff. A .471 winning percentage in one-goal games has the Flames in 18th overall place in that particular category.

Tonight’s opponents, Tampa Bay (.696), are the league’s best in one-goal games, an expected stat for a team that has won successive Stanley Cups.

Colorado (.684) and Toronto (.667) round out the top three. You can see why all three teams are considered heavy Stanley Cup favourites. If the Flames are to join that elite group, they must start prevailing in one-goal contests.

Trying to exploit the fatigue factor as much as possible, I thought Calgary’s inability to win tight contests came down to having heavy legs, potentially in the second game of back-to-back contests. Of Calgary’s 10 back-to-back sets, only three on the second night have been decided by one goal. In those games, Calgary has lost two and won one. So that theory is now officially debunked.

Seven of Calgary’s nine losses in one-goal games have come in overtime, not exactly a flawless indicator of the club’s inability to win tight games. A lot can, and usually does happen in three-on-three overtime sessions, so judging the Flames on that metric alone would be slightly harsh.

However, we all know how important being able to win tight contests is. The NHL playoffs are not renowned for blowouts. Quite the contrary, so Calgary will want to improve their record in close games as they battle for playoff positioning.