Resurfacing themes Calgary Flames need to address after loss to Caps

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.

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.