Calgary Flames still have one glaring problem despite recent turnaround
The Calgary Flames have given their fans plenty of reasons to feel better about the team over the past couple of weeks, but there is still one significant concern that could come back to haunt them.
After dropping their first five games of the 2026-27 campaign, the Flames have responded with seven wins in their last 10 outings. They’ve picked up some impressive victories along the way, including a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs and a convincing 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
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Their recent turnaround has been encouraging, but there are some questions about how sustainable their offensive improvement really is.
Through 15 games, Calgary has scored just 38 goals, an average of 2.53 per contest. That’s among the lowest offensive outputs in the NHL, and much of the team’s recent success has been helped by an impressive power play.
The Flames have converted on 30.6 per cent of their opportunities with the man advantage, ranking among the league’s best teams in that department. While their success on special teams deserves plenty of credit, maintaining that kind of efficiency over an entire season is a difficult task.
That’s particularly concerning when considering Calgary’s struggles at five-on-five.
The Flames have generated an expected goals share of just 45 per cent at five-on-five this season, ranking 26th in the NHL, as per Edgehalla. They’re also averaging just 1.8 high-danger chances per game, a mark that ranks 31st in the league.
In other words, Calgary hasn’t consistently generated enough quality scoring opportunities at even strength. When the power play isn’t producing, the team’s offensive limitations become much more apparent.
There’s no question the Flames have looked considerably better lately, and their 7-3-0 record over their last 10 games is evidence of that.
However, if they’re going to keep winning games and make their recent turnaround more than just a temporary hot streak, they’ll need to find a way to generate considerably more offence at five-on-five.
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Their power play can help carry them for stretches, but it can’t be expected to do all the heavy lifting.
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