Takeaways from the Flames' road loss to the Ottawa Senators

A big danger with putting Dustin Wolf in the net for the Calgary Flames is the expectation he can be a saviour for this sub-par squad.

Calgary’s performance in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators was Exhibit A.

Wolf, the reigning AHL MVP and two-time top goaltender certainly held up his end of the bargain in the game while stopping 34 shots. His teammates delivered a sub-standard performance that is becoming this squad’s calling card.

Yet another sluggish start.

Yet another offensive wasteland.

Yet another costly turnover at the wrong time.

Yet another loss.

The Flames (4-8-2) provided nowhere near enough in front of Wolf against a Senators team that went into the game last in the Eastern Conference and riding a five-game home-ice losing skid.

As long as the Flames believe they can turn things around and be a playoff team, the pressure will be on Wolf if he holds the net. If this team does what it should and starts a teardown, the expectations will lower and that may actually be a better situation for the young goaltender.

Here are three other thoughts from Calgary’s dismal performance in Canada’s capital.

Zadorov in the crosshairs

One night after his agent called him the Flames’ best defenseman on social media and word came out he had requested a trade out of Calgary, it was not pretty for Nikita Zadorov.

The big defenseman, a pending unrestricted free agent after this season, has every right to be looking for a long-term contract with the best term he can get.

One issue is the belief from his camp Zadorov is a top-four defenseman, but his play in Ottawa, especially on the comeback crushing goal that made it a 3-1 deficit early in the third period, was not his best.

Now, he wasn’t alone in that regard, but Zadorov’s agent has put him under the microscope, and any mistake will become magnified because of it.

Powerless play

On a night Calgary’s power play could have been the difference, especially when it was a 0-0 affair, it was nowhere good enough.

The Flames wasted a pair of first-period man-advantages — in which they mustered only two shots on goal — and went 0-for-3 on the night. The Senators made it 2-0 with a power-play goal of their own early in the second period, albeit a flukey one.

Calgary’s offensive attack will be limited, especially if Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm continue to flounder, but the Flames will at least give themselves legitimate chances to win if they can find consistent success.

Futile comeback

For the third consecutive game, the Flames trailed going into the third period. Unlike their win against Nashville at home on Tuesday and Friday’s 5-4 shootout loss in Toronto, there was no comeback in Ottawa.

There was not even a push.

The Flames, who went 9:35 between shots on goal from the latter stages of the first period into the second period, were every bit as bad in the final frame. Maybe even worse considering the situation.

Instead of a pushing to come back in the third period, which was a 2-1 deficit when it started, the Flames managed only two shots on goal in the final 20 minutes.

Sure, the Flames played the night before in Toronto, but that is unacceptable.