SportsHockeyFlames

Flames break 44+ year franchise record for shots on goal

Aaron Vickers
Aaron Vickers
|
Jan 27 2022, 5:32 pm
Flames break 44+ year franchise record for shots on goal
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Flames etched a new page into their record books in an absolute romp of the Columbus Blue Jackets yesterday.

The Flames fired a personal all-time best 62 on goal, slipping six past Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins, to establish a new franchise best for pellets on net in the lopsided, shutout victory.Ā 

“If you’re taking that many shots, which doesn’t happen that very often, there was a lot of high quality in them tonight,” Flames coach Darryl Sutter said postgame. “I think that we had in the 40s in Edmonton a couple of games ago (47 in a 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday).”

“We probably had as many good opportunities and just didn’t score, so we just stay the course with how we have to play.”

Calgaryā€™s shot total was the most by any team in a regular-season game in over 30 years whenĀ the Boston Bruins fired 73 on March 21, 1991.

“Busy, for sure,” Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom said when he was asked what it’d be like to face so many shots. “I don’t think I’ve been up there in my pro career.Ā 

“See a lot of rubber, that’s pretty much it.

ā€œIf we keep playing like this, we can beat anyone.ā€

Only Markstrom and center Adam Ruzicka finished the game without a shot on Merzlikins, and Mikael Backlund finished with a game-high eight. Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk each finished with six.

The Flames previous record for shots in a game was set at 59 in a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 15, 1977, — when they were the Atlanta Flames.Ā Calgary matched the record once, in a 10-8 win against the Quebec Nordiques on February 23, 1991.

The Flames are averaging 36.2 shots per night this season, second in the league to the Florida Panthers

ADVERTISEMENT