What’s On Tap?: This Week Sees Calgary Start A Long Homestand

Who are the Calgary Flames? I don’t think any of us has the answer to that, as it appears the Flames don’t even know. Are they the team that won five in a row or are they the team that lost seven straight or are they the team that wins a couple, then loses a couple? Who knows. This team is so maddeningly inconsistent it makes your head spin. Some nights they look like offensive juggernauts and other times they look like they can’t buy a goa and that shows in their play as of late. Calgary has dropped three in a row and four out of their last six. Offence has been a problem. Starting goaltending has been a problem (not you Dan Vladar). The PP has been a problem. The lines have been a problem. It’s just a hot mess. BUT with all that said, the Flames are still only one point out of the Western Conference playoff race. That should tell you everything you need to know.

The Flames will play their next five at the Saddledome, which was a good idea at the start of the season, but hasn’t been as of late. The Flames record at home is 6-4-1 and they need to seriously make up some ground with all of this home cooking, but it’s not going to be that easy. Calgary is looking at the Panthers, Canadiens, Capitals, Coyotes and Wild over the next nine days. All three teams from the East are out of the playoff picture right now, but every single one would be IN if they played out West. The Flames defeated (barely) the Panthers a week ago in Sunrise Florida, even after blowing three different leads. They fell to the Capitals last Friday by a 3-0 score that really didn’t show how dominant Washington was and the Flames have yet to entertain Sean Monahan and the Montreal Canadiens. It’s like Old Faces Coming Home Week with Matthew Tkachuk and Monahan coming back to Calgary after being traded this past summer.

11/29: Calgary Flames (9-9-3, 21 pts) vs Florida Panthers (10-8-3, 23 pts), 7 PM MT

TV: SNW, SN1 – Radio: Sportsnet 960

12/1: Calgary Flames (9-9-3, 21 pts) vs Montreal Canadiens (11-9-1, 23 pts), 7 PM MT

TV: SNW – Radio: Sportsnet 960

12/3: Calgary Flames (9-9-3, 21 pts) vs Washington Capitals (9-11-3, 21 pts), 8 PM MT

TV: SNW, TVAS2 – Radio: Sportsnet 960

*all records and point totals are as of this article being written

by Mark Parkinson