Calgary Flames road woes continue as Dallas Stars drop visitors for eighth-straight loss away from home

The score was a bit misleading, but the Calgary Flames definitely wore down at the end of a tough 6-2 loss to the Dallas Stars — one of the best NHL teams they've played this season. 

The Flames came out of the gate firing, with Jonathan Huberdeau scoring just 58 seconds in thanks to a neutral zone turnover created by Martin Pospisil.  

After falling behind on goals from Stars snipers Wyatt Johnson and Jason Robertson, the Flames tied the game late in the second on a Connor Zary goal. But the third period, which has been the Flames' best on most nights this season, saw things get out of hand quickly. 

The Stars capitalized on several defensive breakdowns, scoring four unanswered goals (Roope Hintz, Sam Steel, Thomas Harley x2) to hand the Flames an eighth consecutive road loss. Here are three takeaways from the first of two games on this road trip. 

New roadmap needed

The Flames struggles on the road remain a mystery, but an eight-game skid is something that needs a quick solution. The Flames don't have a regulation road win since Oct. 13 in Edmonton and have gone 1-7-4 since. 

That Edmonton game also happens to be the last time the Flames scored four goals in a game. 

"We battled, we got a nice goal at the end of the second, but in the third period, they just took advantage," Huberdeau told reporters post-game. "We’ve got to figure out something on the road to get some wins. Tomorrow is a new day to regroup and focus on Nashville."

Scoring Woes Continue to Haunt the Flames

Despite flashes of offensive pressure, the Flames once again struggled to convert chances into goals. 

Connor Zary’s late second-period tally could and maybe should have been a turning point, but Calgary couldn’t maintain momentum. With the Flames now going 25 straight games without scoring more than three goals in regulation or overtime, the offensive issue is putting too much pressure on the team's goaltenders and the defensive system. 

The Flames need to be nearly flawless to win games against teams with any firepower. Andrei Kuzmenko's return to the linuep after two games in the press box didn't help either.

"I think I saw a stat that we haven’t scored more than three goals in 24 or 25 games," Zary said after the loss. "It’s us trying to get over that hump, really bear down on our chances, and find a way."

The Flames generated zone time and puck possession, but the inability to finish must be getting frustrating. 

"When you have the stretches of zone time that we had tonight, you have to find a way to capitalize," said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. 

Silver Lining, anyone?

Before the complete collapse in the third period, there were some promising signs. Martin Pospisil’s physicality and work ethic stood out as a bright spot. He led the Flames with eight hits and played a key role in Huberdeau’s opening goal. The team followed Pospisil physically, outhitting the Stars 32-11.

Goaltender Dustin Wolf made some unbelievable saves and deserved much better than what the final score will do to his statistics. If not for his play early on, things could have been derailed much earlier. 

Not much to cling to but Nashville awaits on Tuesday night.