Calgary Puck

Well that was ugly.

You couldn’t play the L.A. Kings worse than the Calgary Flames managed on Monday night. Give them a lead just a minute into the proceedings, and then waste three first period powerplays that were ample opportunity to erase that early lead and get on to thumping a weaker opponent.

Instead time goes on, tension starts to mount on the home side, sticks get squeezed tight and suddenly the clock is running down and the comeback isn’t coming.

Two late third period goals give the Kings a 3-0 win in Calgary, as they continue to play spoiler this week.

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It’s well documented that the current season for the Calgary Flames has been somewhat historic. Over and over again this team has been compared to the 1989 Stanley Cup team as the team hasn’t reached these heights in the 30 years since that championship.

That 1989 team had a first round matchup with a pesky team from Vancouver, something this year’s edition of the Vancouver Canucks is desperately trying to replicate. Last night the Canucks hung in the contest against their superior hosts, but couldn’t overcome the mismatch of fourth lines as Calgary fourth trio and their captain scored all three goals in a convincing 3-1 victory.

The loss keeps Vancouver well out of the playoff picture given the number of teams they’ll have to jump, as the two points that got away on Saturday likely was their last glimmer of hope.

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The Flames are in the drive seat towards first in their division and conference. With a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way the key is not overlooking opponents and taking care of business.

Tonight the Flames played the worst team in the NHL circuit, the Ottawa Senators, a trap game if there ever was one, but they limited their stumble to the first four or five minutes of the game before recovering to take over the game and up their inferior opposition away to the tune of a 5-1 final.

Calgary got a goal and an assist from all of Andrew Mangiapane, Garnet Hathaway and Matthew Tkachuk to carry the load, a shorthanded goal and the fourth line carrying the way on a night that could have been a misadventure.

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It wasn’t pretty, not even close.

The Flames took over the game midway through the first period, carried it to a 3-1 lead by midway through the second and then had to fold like a cheap tent and cling to a lead as the playoff desperate Blue Jackets came on hard looking to tie the game up.

In the end David Rittich and his teammates held strong, securing a 4-2 victory, putting the Flames three points up as they adequately use the game in hand on the idle San Jose Sharks to widen their lead.

With nine games to go, and a head on to head on March 31st in San Jose the Flames are now in the driver seat of their drive to the division and conference championship.

How great is this season?

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Sometimes you tune into a game expecting the team you cover to get smoked.

With the Flames playing in Winnipeg on a back to back with Mike Smith in net and a depleted lineup the game had the feel of a 5-2 or 4-1 kind of game. It would feel over early, and you’d go on to your Saturday night in peace knowing the team is in good stead and can live to fight another day.

So yeah they lost, 2-1 to the Winnipeg Jets, but if anything you come away feeling better about their playoff chances than you did before the game given the way they carried the play and likely deserved better tonight in Manitoba.

They may surrender first back to the Sharks again tonight, but the way the team is finding themselves defensively, finding better goaltending and will get Monahan and others back it suggests better days are ahead.

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