With the Edmonton Oilers coming to the Saddledome Saturday, the Calgary Flames head coach wants a smarter, more responsible response after loss to Leafs
The whole tone of Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska’s post-game presser after the loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday had a fatherly, ‘I’m not mad, I’m disappointed’ feel to it.
It lasted just about two and a half minutes, but he said plenty — both with the words spoken and those he didn’t.
His players had a stellar start, going up 2-0 in the first period before Auston Matthews’ first of three goals on the night cut the lead in half before the buzzer. It was 4-2 when hats littered the Saddledome ice thanks to the many Leafs supporters in attendance, and the Flames didn’t have another third-period comeback in the cards.
If he said similar things to his players behind the scenes, it was probably followed by a ‘You better not do that again’ when Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers come to the Dome for Saturday’s Hockey Day in Canada version of the Battle of Alberta.
“I thought we did some stupid things in the neutral zone,” Huska said of a frustrating stretch that saw Matthews scored two more, sandwiched by a tally from teammate Mitch Marner. “Against teams that have high-end skilled players, you do that, that’s what’s gonna happen.”
They don’t get much more high-end and skilled than the Calgary Flames’ northern rivals led by McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers also happen to be riding a record 12-game winning streak. The Flames’ season high was snapped at four by the Leafs this week.
Unnecessary Flames turnovers in the neutral zone led to long stretches of zone time for Matthews and the Leafs. More of the same against McDavid and the Oilers would be a disaster as the Flames hit the midway point of a six-game homestand that could help players and management make some important decisions on the short and long-term direction of the franchise.
The Flames have successfully bounced back from a brutal start to the season to get into wildcard contention but still seem to forget the style that got them there.
“To me, I look at it as a selfish thing, that side of the game,” Huska said, adding that the “stupid plays” have surfaced in a number of the games his team has dropped this season.
“So that’s the unfortunate part.”