Flames 1- Senators 2: They’re not even likeable anymore

Calgary Flames 1- Ottawa Senators 2

Preview

Scoring

Calgary Flames

1st: None

2nd: None

3rd: 14:54- Gaudreau (13) (Lucic [7], Nesterov [3])

Ottawa Senators

1st: 10:23- Dzingel (7) (Watson [7], Reilly [12])

2nd: None

3rd: 17:24- Tierney (4) (Reilly [13], Batherson [11])

Complete Stats

Recap

No matter what else has gone on this season performance wise, the Flames were never unlikable as players. To take a disappointing loss and the feelings that go with it and express that by attempting to ruin the moment for a young player after all is said and done is a classless, cowardly act. Rasmus Andersson and Matthew Tkachuk are good guys most days of the week but attempting to withhold a puck for a goaltender’s first career win was truly a shameful act.

That came on the heels of yet another dull (almost scoreless) game for the Flames, who fell to the last place Senators and their fourth string goalie making his first career start. Credit where credit is due, Filip Gustavsson shook some feeling into his hands and played a stellar game under less than stellar circumstances.

Ryan Dzingel kicked the scoring off in the first as he reunion with the Senators continues to go smoothly. Minutes after putting himself offside on a clear cut breakaway, Dzingel carried the puck into the Flames zone on a 2-on-1 and sniped under Jakob Markstrom’s arm. It was the game’s only goal until the final moments of the game, to give Flames fans two truly awful games in a row offensively.

Johnny Gaudreau put a shutout streak of over 140 minutes to rest with a nice shot over Gustavsson’s trapper just under 5 minutes to play. Milan Lucic took hold of a turnover inside the Calgary blueline and found a fresh Johnny Gaudreau streaking in for the breakaway pass.

‘Twould all be for naught, as casual play lead to Chris Tierney burying a soft blocked shot in the Calgary slot for the game-winner with barely 3 minutes to go.

I guess the positive in this outcome is that the Flames actually managed to score in this one, but the fact that they’ve struggled yet again against an inferior team even with these new systems probably just proves once and for all that this group is just not destined to be much more. It could get real ugly fast.

Next game is Wednesday, back in Ottawa for a 3pm MST matinee.

by Gordie Taylor