Calgary dropped 6-2 by Detroit on Sunday, and earned just one victory on the five-game swing
Wing dinged in the Motor City.
The Calgary Flames ended their five-game road trip with a 6-2 beatdown at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. It was an inglorious end to a swing in which they posted a 1-3-1 record.
All five opponents during the trip failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs last season.
The good news for the floundering Flames (and their 2-3-1 record) is that Yegor Sharangovich netted his first goal of the season and first since being acquired by Calgary in the off-season, an excellent top-shelf shot off the rush.
Otherwise, it was an ugly end to a disappointing road trip for a club that was exposed by the speedy Red Wings.
Flames coach Ryan Huska swapped around the skaters on the top two lines, and the end result was a nightmare, especially for the trio of Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and Dillon Dube. All three finished minus-4 and were on the ice for all three goals off the stick of Alex DeBrincat, as well as the one DeBrincat set up Dylan Larkin.
Hurting the Calgary cause was being without top-minute defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who served the first game of the four-game suspension he was handed for his late-game hit on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrick Laine. Andersson is appealing the suspension. The fourth game of the banishment would mean missing the Heritage Classic outdoor game next Sunday in Edmonton.
The most curious roster call was starting number-two goalie Dan Vladar instead of Jacob Markstrom, who boasts fantastic career numbers against the Red Wings.The loss can’t be pinned on Vladar, who made 24 saves, but his performance was not part of any solution in a game his teammates fell miles short
Andrew Mangiapane scored Calgary’s other goal, his third of the season.
The Flames return home for a pair of games, starting with Tuesday’s clash with the New York Rangers.
For more coverage of the game, visit back Monday morning for the takeaways.