Don’t look now but the Flames are crawling back into things.
For weeks they’ve been say two points back but with way more games played. Tonight with a 3-2 win in overtime over the Arizona Coyotes the Flames move to within two points back with even games played.
They still have three teams to topple in terms of win percentage, but the come back win tonight makes things more and more interesting.
Next up the Leafs and Oilers on home ice.
Statement time.
This is getting to be a hard team not to like.
They just get things done.
Not many periods taken off, and not many passengers game to game.
Truthfully, however, they’re getting dragged into the fight by their goaltender Jacob Markstrom who may not have stolen one tonight, but a case could be made in the 3-1 Flames win in Vegas tonight.
The win completes the dad trip with a sweep and keeps the Flames very much in the complicated Western wild card race.
They return home Tuesday night to play the Coyotes in game one of a six game road trip.
Quite the night for the Calgary Flames and their party happy fathers.
Calgary scores 20 seconds into the game, and then cruise to a 6-2 victory on Thursday night in Arizona.
The Flames sat on the lead to some extent, putting a lot of pressure on Jacob Markstrom the rest of the way.
The win moves the Flames a game over .500 and past the Coyotes in the West standings.
Will be interesting if they can put a string together, but it doesn’t get easier with a stop in Vegas on Saturday night.
Any team can beat any other team on any given night.
We all know that.
We also know that the odds of that happening increase dramatically if the favoured team shows up flat and doesn’t put in the work required to win the hockey game.
Truthfully the Flames were a little unlucky today as they had two own goals, and another off a crazy bounce into the slot in this afternoon’s 4-3 loss in Chicago..
But they didn’t show up ready to put their A game on the ice and paid for it.
The loss squares the road trip at 2-2-0, simply not good enough if you have your eyes on getting back into the playoff race.
You can’t win a game getting dominated for 20 minutes.
You can’t win a game when you take six minor penalties.
Both contributed to the Flames getting run out of the building in the second period, with Jacob Markstrom heroically keeping his team in the game and giving them a chance in a 3-2 loss in Philadelphia.
The loss moves the Flames back to .500 on the season, and 2-1-0 on this four game road trip.
Next up the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow afternoon.
