The Calgary Flames dropped their third game in the last four, falling to the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 on Saturday night.
The Calgary Flames came into Saturday night's contest against the Detroit Red Wings after an emotional Thursday night following a franchise-altering trade. However, their momentum against the Anaheim Ducks didn't carry over, as the Flames lost to their Original Six rivals 3-1.
Let's discuss.
Shots, Shots, and More Shots
The Flames fired 34 shots on their former teammate Cam Talbot, the sixth-highest total of the season. Despite their best efforts, the Red Wings goalie was a brick wall. He surrendered just a goal, a late Nazem Kadri tally in the third period while improving to 4-2-2 when he faces at least 34 shots.
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The main problem with the Flames getting so many pucks on goal is a trend that no one talks about: there is little to no traffic in front of opposing goalies.
At the moment, Calgary ranks 11th in the NHL with an average of 29.2 shots per game, but they have the league's 29th-rank offense with just 135 goals, seven away from the bottom. Why is there such a gap between the two statistics? Because the Flames are not making opposing goalie's nights more difficult.
First Goal Against Troubles
Since Jan. 1, the Flames are just 7-7-0 with a goal differential of minus-2, which isn't terrible considering they remain in or out of the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference.
However, a deeper dive into the numbers highlights that Calgary has surrendered the first goal in seven of the past 14 games, including the last four in a row.
Why is that such a concern?
After Saturday night, the Flames rank 28th in the NHL with a goals-per-game average of 2.65. So, if they fall behind in a game, getting one to tie and another to grab a lead is difficult. Moreover, they give up 2.92 goals per game, so most nights, they need at least three goals to win.
Falling behind is a recipe for disaster, a trend the Flames must break in the coming weeks.
The New Guys Blend In
The Flames acquired Joel Farabee (No. 86) and Morgan Frost (No. 16) in a late Thursday night deal with the Philadelphia Flyers.
In their first game, the two skaters had the fifth and sixth-highest ice time totals amongst the forwards, with Farabee logging 18:01 and Frost, who spent some time on the power play, skating 17:37.
Unfortunately, Frost finished the night minus-2, while Farabee was even. Both skaters had solid debuts with Frost, who had three shots, each with a hit.
Frost is a faster skater who brings some speed into the lineup, plus he's good at getting the puck into the offensive zone. Considering they only had the morning skate to adjust to a new system and new linemates, there's no reason to knock their performances.
After a few more practices and games, fans will see what they can bring to the team. The winner of this blockbuster will be decided at the end of the season, not in a few games or months.
