Flames call play "unacceptable" as club slips further down standings
The good news is the Calgary Flames didn’t blow another third-period lead.
The bad news is that the home side didn’t ever have the lead in their latest of three straight setbacks, a 4-1 roughing-up from the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.
A tidy 5-1-0 start to the season has seen the Flames turn out a trio of frustrating outings, moving the club from one of the toasts of the Pacific Division early on to a team suddenly scrapping out a wild card spot through the first four weeks of the season.
“It’s unacceptable, the whole thing,” Calgary forward Blake Coleman admitted postgame. “Regardless of what the games before, the outcomes were. It’s a home game. It’s a game we needed to win. It’s a game you want to have right from the get-go and we didn’t have it. Unacceptable is the best way to describe it.”
“It’s unacceptable, the whole thing.”
Blake Coleman shares his thoughts on the loss to Nashville. pic.twitter.com/H18yb3XqAG
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) November 4, 2022
The outcomes of the games before include blowing a two-goal, third-period lead against the Seattle Kraken Tuesday and a one-goal edge against the Edmonton Oilers in the season’s second instalment of the Battle of Alberta last Saturday.
Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Nashville was a different path. Same result.
“Just got to find a way. Got to find a way to dig and find a way to bring your own joy and your own excitement,” Coleman said. “It was quiet. Slow start for us. Just didn’t really find it. Couple opportunities in the third but you can’t have those first two periods and expect to win.”
The Flames are now underwater on their season-long eight-game homestand with a 3-4-0 mark, and have moved from betting favourite to slumping squad.
"Came out flat, no energy."
Elias Lindholm reflects on tonight's game vs. the Predators. pic.twitter.com/5iMAjJya7N
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) November 4, 2022
“It’s unacceptable,” Calgary centre Elias Lindholm said. “Obviously three in a row at home here, it’s not good enough.
“Even after the last game, we were up 4-2 and lose. We’re a veteran group and that shouldn’t happen either. We talked about it and it was unacceptable last game and tonight might have been worse. We got to keep talking, keep pushing, and all of us got to be better.”
Calgary concludes the homestand on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils before what seems to be — from the outside — a much-needed road trip.
Putting the losing streak to bed before liftoff should drive home a little more urgency.
Because “three in a row at home… it’s just completely unacceptable,” Coleman said.