Calgary ends a a six-game homestand with three wins and three losses after wasting a dominant first period against the Devils
Bad bounces.
Bad mistakes.
Bad result.
In a tale of two games, the Calgary Flames ended their homestand with a disappointing 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
After finally, FINALLY, scoring first in a game amidst a very good opening period, the Flames couldn’t build off it and the end result was a bitter taste in the matinee clash.
“Frustrating one,” Flames forward Blake Coleman said. “It felt like we probably should have been up by three goals early in the second period. We had some missed opportunities and didn’t take advantage of what I felt was a pretty dominant first period.”
After Yegor Sharangovich opened the scoring with a goal-scorer’s tally in the final minute of the first period, the Flames simply didn’t build off it.
Coleman was guilty of a horrid turnover that led to Nico Hischier’s tally that tied the game 1-1. Then Coleman unwisely sent a clearing attempt up the middle amidst a scramble and the puck banked into the net off Jesper Bratt to give New Jersey a 2-1 lead.
Finally, following a turnover when goalie Dustin Wolf failed to connect with Noah Hanifin, Alexander Holtz sent a puck to the front of the net that ricocheted off two Flames players and into the cage.
“It’s not why we lost, but … there were a few weird ones, that’s for sure,” coach Ryan Huska said. “We had a few crossbars, we missed some chances. At the end of the day, those are the opportunities on our part, we have to put away at key moments.”
Nazem Kadri’s late tally to make it a 3-2 game gave a bit of hope the Flames would drum up another comeback, but it wasn’t to be.
Here are three more thoughts from the clash.
Huberd’oh
Before the Devils tied the score, Jonathan Huberdeau had a golden chance to double the lead.
Amidst a scramble, Devils goalie Vitek Vanacek was well out of position but Huberdeau missed a wide-open net.
The expletive out of Huberdeau’s mouth as he returned to the bench had a decibel level that could be heard all the way to the press box in the rafters.
Coronato’s up-and-down return
With a couple of forwards ill, 2021 first-round pick Matt Coronato was summoned from the AHL Wrangers after netting eight goals and 18 points in 14 AHL games.
The assessment: A little from each shelf.
“He had some chances with the puck, but he also gave some pucks up. I thought he was OK,” Huska said.
Coronato, who was sent down to the minors on Nov. 3 after playing the first 10 games, possibly will stay with the club with a flu bug running through the dressing room, but another trip back to the minors will be good for him to continue working on the aspects of the game he must improve.
Coronato turned 21 last month, and it’s worth noting how valuable that time in the minors has impacted Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil.
Sharangovich exacts a hint of revenge
The reaction after the puck went in couldn’t be missed, both from Sharangovich and his team-mates.
After being traded from the Devils in the summer, following a season in which he went down the ladder of lines, Sharangovich netted a nifty short-handed breakaway tally.
Not having the last laugh took away the elation.
“It feels good when you score against your old team but it’s not enough,” he said.