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Recap: Flames Lose 6-0 to Yotes; It’s Called a Rebuild, Okay

The Calgary Flames got back to their new old ways of getting shutout again, this time allowing six goals against in the process.

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And you thought the Flames might score goals again this season! … I thought the Flames might score goals again this season…

This game actually got off to a pretty decent start. The first period was relatively uneventful, save for a pretty good chance by Dennis Wideman on a powerplay Joe Colborne drew that Thomas Greiss got his glove on. The visitors came away outshooting the Coyotes 9-6, a welcome surprise, since the Flames have been having trouble with that whole getting-pucks-on-net thing lately.

It all came tumbling apart in the second period. About two minutes in, a shot by Shane Doan went off the boards. Mikkel Boedker shot the puck out to the front of the Flames’ net, where it bounced off Doan and past Reto Berra. About a minute and a half later Lauri Korpikoski took a shot that bounced off the back of Radim Vrbata‘s leg and right to Martin Hanzal‘s stick. Berra was playing the original shot, and thus left a wide open net for an easy goal for Hanzal. And just like that, the Coyotes were up 2-0.

Mikael Backlund drew a penalty about eight minutes into the second period. It was on this powerplay that the Flames got their first shots on net of the period. Of course, none of them went in.

Shortly after the powerplay expired, Mike Ribeiro dished the puck straight to Boedker on the left faceoff dot, who sniped it shortside to put the Coyotes up 3-0.

The Flames really needed to get going, and they came out generating a few chances at the start of the third period. Then there was a lengthy delay as some glass needed repairing… Hey, it was a Coyotes game where they had the lead, you can't expect it to be too exciting.

Following the glass repair, there was a mass scramble of players to Berra’s right that eventually resulted in Korpikoski getting his own rebound and scoring to put the Yotes up 4-0. Time ticked on, and Michael Stone sniped the puck from the top of the faceoff circle to extend the lead to 5-0.

Then TJ Galiardi got into a frustrated scrap with Rostislav Klesla. Then Lance Bouma took a roughing penalty. Then Rob Klinkhammer scored on the powerplay, because why not? And the Flames lost 6-0, giving Greiss the second shutout of his NHL career.

Hey, it happens.

Some thoughts:

  • No, really, sometimes it happens.
    http://cdn2.sbnation.com/assets/3832977/Fenwick_chart_for_2014-01-07_Flames_0_at_Coyotes_6.png

    (Fenwick chart courtesy of ExtraSkater.)
    Bad bounces and being, well, the Flames certainly didn’t help the Flames’ case this game.
  • For that matter, neither did their play, ultimately. While their first period may have been promising, not getting a single shot on net during a period until said period is almost halfway over is, well, bad. They ended up getting outshot 30-27 by game’s end.
  • Matt Stajan appears to be the odd man out at centre now (11:00 TOI), as Sean Monahan (16:37!), Backlund (16:31), and Colborne (15:14) all got more minutes than him. It’s not necessarily fair to Stajan, but hey, in a rebuild, play the younger guys, right?
  • Speaking of Colborne, he ended up with the best corsi for on the team at 73.1% (19 shot attempts for, 7 against when he was on the ice) while only starting in the offensive zone 23.1% of the time, tied for lowest on the team with Bouma. Huh, good for him. We know he has some skill (at least as a shootout specialist!), and he has been doing more these past few games. If we’re seeing a turning point for him, then that would be great. This season’s all about silver linings anyway, especially with the young guys, and he is only 23.
  • Kevin Westgarth and Brian McGrattan with a combined 18:40 of ice time tonight, but despite that and McGrattan’s truculent game misconduct (acquired when the officials decided they weren’t going to put up with him and Paul Bissonnette fighting for no reason towards the end of the game), they were unable to help the Flames get on the scoreboard. Maybe the Flames should trade for Biz while they’re still in Phoenix? He would make them tougher, and therefore better.

The Flames will be back at it Thursday night at 7 PM MT to take on the St. Louis Blues in the Saddledome. Hey, remember what happened the last time the Blues visited? Oh, what fun we had!

by Ari Yanover