Latest stinging loss drops Flames' playoff hopes drastically
It’s not looking great for the Calgary Flames.
The Flames saw their Stanley Cup Playoffs aspirations take a stinging blow with a listless 4-3 loss to the last-place Chicago Blackhawks at Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday.
It’s jolted those playoff probabilities from a hopeful 31.2% to a dismal 13.9%, according to popular analytics site MoneyPuck.
“Obviously a tough one to lose. Not good enough,” Calgary forward Nazem Kadri said postgame.
“At the end of the day, you have to find ways to win and tonight we didn’t.”
"Obviously a tough one to lose."
Nazem Kadri speaks with the media after the 4-3 loss to Chicago. pic.twitter.com/rFEwIMbiRW
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 5, 2023
The loss marks the third time this season the Flames have dropped points to the Blackhawks, who entered the bout boasting the best odds of selecting consensus No. 1 pick Connor Bedard in the 2023 NHL Draft.
In all, Calgary collected just one of six points to Chicago, who entered the game 32nd in the NHL standings.
“I thought we had urgency, just maybe sometimes you might want it too much and that might’ve happened tonight,” Flames rearguard Rasmus Andersson offered postgame. “When you try to make that play all the time instead of letting it come to you it’s frustrating. Right back at it. Big game [Wednesday].”
MoneyPuck Playoff Odds – April 4
MoneyPuck Playoff Odds – April 5
Big game, indeed.
Calgary, who remains two back of the Winnipeg Jets for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference, will visit Canada Life Centre to play the team they’re chasing in what can only amount to the most pivotal game of the season.
The two teams have split each game of the season series thus far, with the Flames netting a 3-2 win at home on November 12, before dropping a 3-2 contest on the road on January 3.
"Not good enough."
Rasmus Andersson talks to the media after the setback to the Blackhawks. pic.twitter.com/5AEeDAKtch
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 5, 2023
It’s a must-win game.
Just like the ones that’ll follow.
“Maybe too many of us were thinking about [Wednesday]’s game, just thinking too far ahead,” Mikael Backlund offered. “I don’t know. It’s a tough question.
“It’s really frustrating. It’s tough. But at the same time, we’ve got to regroup here. We have to be a lot better [Wednesday]. It’s not over. A win [Wednesday] and we’re back in it. That’s how we’ve got to look at it now.
“If we want to keep our season alive and we want to keep our playoff hopes alive we’ve got to forget about everything to this point and win one game [Wednesday].”
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