Calgary's miscues were the difference as Pittsburgh's stars shone bright in the 5-2 clash
According to the official game sheet, the Calgary Flames surrendered three giveaways in Saturday’s 5-2 road loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Three?!? Really?!? Only three?!? Seems a tad low.
The Penguins were credited with 10 takeaways.
Calgary held a 1-0 lead going into the third period but that edge was gone in 41 seconds thanks to lightning-strike goals 23 seconds apart by Bryan Rust and Reilly Smith on a night the Penguins’ big guns were all clicking.
Turnovers, miscues and missed assignments all cost the Flames, who wasted a golden opportunity to put down the hammer against a Penguins squad that was playing three games in four nights and on the second half of games on back-to-back evenings.
“A couple mental mistakes that we had in the third (period), and they took advantage of that,” left wing Jonathan Huberdeau told the assembled media after the game. “Our work ethic was great. We worked hard, just some mistakes that turned the puck into our net.”
The Flames delivered 15 turnovers in their season-opening game, as they obviously are still trying to find cohesiveness with their system play.
How long it will take for the Flames to clean up their game remains to be seen, but they must take a step forward when they continue the five-game road trip Monday against the Washington Capitals.
A goal to remember
Matt Coronato was subdued about it post-game but has a memory to treasure with his first NHL goal, the second-period power-play tally that put Calgary ahead 1-0.
Coronato showed his goal-scorer’s shot with a pin-point of a one-timer into the top shelf.
The Flames lack legit top-end talent, but Coronato showed he could be a sniper to watch with a blast from his off-wing.
“He actually made a smart play on that,” coach Ryan Huska said. “He found the quiet ice there. He got himself open and that’s the mark of a goal scorer, for sure.”
ICE CHIPS: Thanks in huge part due to Jacob Markstrom’s goaltending, the Flames are perfect so far this season in killing seven short-handed situations. Still with special teams, Calgary has a 2-for-6 mark with the power play … Defenseman Noah Hanifin skated in his 600th game, the 10th youngest defenseman to reach that milestone and the first player from the 2015 NHL draft, but it was not a game to remember for him. He has made some glaring mistakes in both games so far this season … Huberdeau led the Flames with five shots on goal and still passed up a couple of quality chances to fire the puck.
