Minutes after a humiliating loss to a glorified AHL club in Chicago, Mikael Backlund summed it up best.
“If we want to be a playoff team, that’s a game we have to find a way to win,” said the Calgary Flames captain.
“Not good enough.”
Last year the Chicago Blackhawks cost the Flames a playoff spot, with the rebuilding club sweeping all three games.
This year the Blackhawks are even worse, with Connor Bedard and nine other regulars out with ailments.
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They’re spending more money on injured players right now than the active roster.
Yet, the Flames weren’t able to wrap up a four-game roadie with their third win, losing 4-3 to Colin Blackwell and the Hawks Sunday afternoon.
“They were in a situation we needed to take advantage of, and we didn’t do what we needed to do today,” said Flames coach Ryan Huska, who called his team’s showing “disappointing.”
“They were hungrier and harder than we were.”
And this, quite simply, is why Flames management has been so adamant about spending this season retooling its core.
This can’t keep happening.
“You think about it, Chicago last year beat us three times and we missed the playoffs by a few points,” Flames hockey president Don Maloney told Sportsnet host Ryan Leslie during the first intermission.
“So that was sort of a message coming in, we said, ‘listen, we’ve had some tough games, there’s no excuse not to be ready for a team that’s had our number for a little while.’”
Apparently, the message wasn’t clear enough.
For the second afternoon in a row the Flames blew a 2-1 second period lead, this time allowing three straight goals by a Hawks club that sits second-last in the league at 12-26-2.
Sure, all three strikes involved fortuitous bounces – two off Flames defenders and one off the boards.
But the Flames also scored twice off lucky breaks.
“It’s a tough one to swallow,” Jonathan Huberdeau told Sportsnet 960 host Pat Steinberg after the game.
“It’s a game we’ve got to win.
“Obviously it’s on us. Back-to-back, but lots of turnovers.
“We didn’t deserve to win. Tough for us to finish this way.”
It was the Flames’ third road game in four nights, which is certainly a challenge for a team that relies on its work ethic, above all else, to win games.
But given the trip-ending losses Saturday in Philadelphia and Sunday were both afternoon affairs, that’s hardly an excuse.
“We played two midday games, it’s not that hard,” said Backlund, whose club is now 0-4-1 in the second half of back-to-backs.
“It’s different when you play late and arrive late at night – those back-to-backs are hard ones.
Today there’s no excuse.
“We’re used to playing, practicing and working out every day so there shouldn’t be any fatigue today.
“Today was more mental. Felt like we just weren’t dialed in enough. No excuses for that.”
After finally eclipsing the .500 mark with impressive wins in Minnesota and Nashville, the Flames are once-again sporting a losing record, just one game short of the season’s midway mark.
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“It’s tough when we started so well, we had a really good chance to have a really good trip,” said Backlund of the 2-2 jaunt.
“But with the position we’re in, going .500 on a trip is not good enough.”
HUBERDEAU WATCH
Jonathan Huberdeau made a nice pass to set up Mangiapane’s power play goal, giving him points in four of his last five games, dating back to his inspirational outing on New Year’s Eve that ended his lengthy point-less streak.
He made a great centring pass to set up an Elias Lindholm goal in the first period, which was overturned after the Hawks challenged for goalie interference. Lindholm’s skate clearly pushed Petr Mrazek’s pad into the net, preventing him from recovering to stop the rolling puck.
“We had some looks early,” said Huberdeau.
“The disallowed goal… things could have been different early.”
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Huberdeau picked up a second assist on Nazem Kadri’s second of the game, which brought the Flames to within one goal at 4-3 with five minutes left.
Oh, and he used white tape.
Mangiapane, whose line with Backlund and Blake Coleman was the team’s best once again, extended his five-game point streak with the 200th point of his career.
VLADAR GETS THE START
With red-hot Jacob Markstrom earning the day off following a 39-save effort a day earlier in Philadelphia, Flames backup Dan Vladar got the start with hopes of extending his 2-0-1 record of late.
Alas, he was victimized by several lucky goals, which included one that bounced in off Rasmus Andersson’s stick and another that caromed off Nick DeSimone’s skate.
He made 17 saves, and while both of Colin Blackwell’s snipes were well-earned, the Flames played poorly enough that he needed to make at least one more save than he did.
As part of their quirkiest of schedules, the Flames return home to host Ottawa on Tuesday before heading back on the road to visit Arizona Thursday and Vegas Saturday.
