Flames’ Early-Season Struggles Point to a Bigger Problem Than Scoring

An 0-3 start to the 2026-27 season has put the Calgary Flames in an uncomfortable position early in the year. A league-worst minus-13 goal differential, with 16 goals against and just three goals scored, only adds to the concern.

The offensive struggles are difficult to overlook, but Sunday’s 6-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken revealed some underlying issues that extend beyond scoring chances and finishing opportunities.

Following the game, both players and the coaching staff pointed to a lack of connection, miscommunication and an inability to consistently execute as a group. For a team that has built much of its identity around resilience and playing for one another, those are areas that need to be addressed quickly.

Joel Farabee acknowledged that the group is still working through some of those adjustments, particularly with several new faces trying to establish themselves within the lineup.

“Nobody’s here to help us. It’s got to come within the group. Thankfully it’s not a lack of effort” said Farabee.

That distinction is important. The Flames haven’t necessarily lacked stretches of effort or compete, but those qualities haven’t translated into consistent team play.

“I don’t think anyone is in here for the moral victories,” Farabee added. “Maybe a little bit of confusion with some new guys and things like that, but if we just clean up on the rush chances against, I think we give ourselves a shot.”

Head coach Ryan Huska echoed some of those concerns, describing a group that is struggling to remain connected within its structure.

“Disconnected is maybe a word I could use,” said Huska. “One person goes off script right now for us and it seems to end up in the back of our net, and that’s something that we have to work to eliminate, right now. When things are not coming easy at all you have to make sure you stay on script as a unit, not as an individual, and I think that’s one of the big things for me that’s standing out right now.”

Huska’s assessment points to something that has become increasingly evident through the opening three games. The Flames are making individual mistakes, but the consequences are often magnified because the players around them aren’t consistently in position to compensate.

With new additions still finding their footing, some of that disconnect is understandable. However, the adjustment period cannot become an excuse for the entire group. Whether it’s a defensive assignment, a missed read or an unnecessary decision with the puck, the expectation has to remain the same across the lineup.

Huska also addressed the challenges that come with integrating new players into an established system.

“I think you’ve got some new people that are trying to find their way a little bit and they’re trying to do a little bit too much at times,” he explained. “You start to cause problems for the other guys on the ice who aren’t expecting you to do those things.”

“I think it’s a really matter of just settling yourself down, look yourself in the mirror and make sure that you’re committed to playing to the game plan.”

There is some responsibility that comes with being new to a team and learning a different system. Simon Nemec, Jake Middleton and Maxim Tsyplakov are among the additions adjusting to their surroundings, while younger players like Matvei Gridin and Zayne Parekh are still developing at the NHL level.

However, this isn’t an issue that can be isolated to newcomers or younger players. Singling out ‘new guys’ doesn’t seem to help with overall accountability either.

The early-season numbers reflect a much broader problem. Morgan Frost, Matt Coronato, Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec and Matvei Gridin are all sitting at a team-low minus-6, with no Flames player holding a positive rating through the opening three games.

Plus-minus doesn’t tell the entire story, but it does reinforce the extent of the team’s early difficulties. Defensive breakdowns, missed assignments and an inability to limit quality chances have become collective problems that require a collective response.

Perhaps just as concerning is how quickly one mistake seems to turn into another.

The Flames have shown stretches of encouraging play, but those moments have been overshadowed by extended periods where a single setback leads to another. Rather than recovering and returning to their structure, the group has struggled to stop the momentum from building against them.

Morgan Frost touched on that issue following Sunday’s loss.

“I feel like one mistake is just leading to another and we’re letting it pile up on us,” said Frost. “So I think when that first mistake happens, whatever, we’ve just got to try and move on and get back to our game right away instead of letting it deflate us.”

That’s an important part of the equation for Calgary moving forward. Mistakes are inevitable over an 84-game season, particularly with a roster that has undergone changes. How a team responds to those mistakes, however, often says more about its identity than the mistakes themselves.

The Flames don’t need to reinvent their approach after three games, but they do need to establish a more consistent standard. Structure, communication and accountability have to become priorities across the entire lineup, not just when things are going well.

There is still plenty of hockey ahead, and the opening stretch doesn’t define what this group can become. But the margin for continued inconsistency is already becoming smaller.

With another demanding test against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, Calgary has an opportunity to begin correcting some of those issues. The response doesn’t necessarily need to come through an offensive outburst or a perfect performance. It starts with playing connected hockey, supporting one another and making sure individual mistakes don’t continue to become team-wide problems.