Resurfacing themes Calgary Flames need to address after loss to Caps
A few themes resurfaced that Darryl Sutter will want to address after the Calgary Flames lost 5-4 to the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
First, let’s get the excuses out of the way: The Flames played five games in eight days, including a hard-fought win against the Oilers the night prior to facing Alexander Ovechkin and company.
The Flames looked weary from the drop of the puck. Not nearly as fluid or crisp as we’ve come to expect, Calgary was clearly hamstrung by the ludicrous amount of hockey they’ve played lately. So the Flames were fatigued. Duly noted.
Of course Sutter will never use an excuse like fatigue as a scapegoat for the reason his side lost. It’s not his way and Flames fans love that about their uncompromising, stoic bench boss. He is a perfectionist through and through and will want to see his team perform better in close games, particularly those level after two periods.
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.
Calgary fell to 6-5-4 after going into second intermission tied
Another close-game stat Sutter will not be pleased with, the Flames fell to 6-5-4 after starting the third period all level. The Flames have a 26-6-4 record when leading after one period (a stat that took a slight dent in Tuesday night’s defeat).
A pretty sound record, Sutter knows just how important it is to start games on the front foot. The Flames, who have scored a league third best 66 goals in the first period, are familiar with getting off to good starts. It’s one of the key reasons the Flames are leading the Pacific Division.
Even better is their record when leading after two periods. The Flames, who have the sixth best winning percentage (.931), are 27-0-2 when starting the third in the lead. Suffice to say, if Calgary starts the third in the lead, you can bet your house they’ll secure the victory. Please don’t do that, though, as Murphy’s Law is opportunistic, akin to Ovi’s Tuesday night performance.
However, for Calgary to ascend to the next level, they’ll need to find a way to win when going into the locker room level after two periods. Their 6-5-4 record in tied games after two almost directly corresponds with the team’s 8-2-7 mark in one-goal encounters. Those stats must improve if Calgary is going to make a deep playoff run.
Next. Noah Hanifin's quietly sterling season in Calgary. dark
Lucky for us, Sutter has made a career of prevailing in one-goal games, so not too many people in Cowtown are gravely concerned with the Flames’ lacklustre record in nip-and-tuck affairs yet.