The Flames have already contested 24 games decided by one goal this campaign.
For anyone trying to figure out the 2022-23 Flames’ identity, you could do a lot worse than to suggest that their season might be defined by how they survive and thrive in games where the margins are so thin.
And the Flames strongly believe they’re getting better at it — and that all the experience they’ve built up playing in tight games is only going to help them out. “You look at last year in the playoffs and that’s what playoff hockey is,” said Flames defenceman Noah Hanifin. “It’s a lot of one-goal, tight games. You’ve got to get comfortable in those situations and we’ve had a lot of those this year and have been really close to being on the other side of that a bunch of times.Article contentWhile it’s easy to focus on the fact that the Flames have only been able to pull off wins in 10 of the 24 one-goal games, it’s worth noting that they seem to have been much better recently.But each of the Flames’ last five games have been decided by one goal and they’ve won three of them. It’s not unreasonable to draw the conclusion that they’ve improved in those situations. “We struggled with that early on, but it just took a while to get comfortable with and as you guys said, lately we’ve been better and we look to get better in the future,” said Flames forward Nazem Kadri. “Down the stretch, for a playoff spot and into the playoffs, those one-goal games and being comfortable in those situations is a big-time key.”Article content It also seems notable that of the Flames’ last five games, four have ended in 3-2 scorelines. Head coach Darryl Sutter has talked about that being the magic number, of sorts, for the Flames and for teams around the league, in general. While Kadri said the team isn’t going out and aiming for 3-2 wins, it’s true that the Flames have gone 7-4 in games that have ended with that scoreline this season. “I don’t know if there really is a magic number, I just think obviously we’ve been in a lot of tight games and I think it’s going to pay dividends towards the end,” Kadri said. “I think that’s great experience for our group and just being able to stay calm and composed in those tight, tense situations. I think it’s a positive thing. At the end of the day, we’ve got to find a way to win those games, but more often than not we’re capable of doing that.Article content “I don’t think you go out there and say we’ve got to score three goals tonight or whatever the case may be. I think you just try to execute the offensive game plan as best as possible. We’ve got guys in there who can score goals, so I don’t think that’s an issue.” For now, the Flames are focused on moving past the disappointing loss in Winnipeg. They have enough evidence to suggest that there’s been real improvement in how they play when games are tight and the tension’s high and one 3-2 defeat doesn’t derail the progress they feel they’ve made. It was only a week ago when they lost a hard-fought 2-1 game to the Edmonton Oilers. There were frustrations then, too, but the Flames quickly found a way to improve the mood with an impressive 3-2 win the next night against the Seattle Kraken. “We bounced back in Seattle — a hard-fought game, a tight game, and we found a way to win that one,” said Flames centre Mikael Backlund. “That’s how we have to play. We are a veteran, mature team, but we have to play like that in third periods.”
Please follow us on Google to support usCanada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Flames’ Weegar focused on defence first, but still relieved to end scoring droughtFor Weegar, scoring is not necessarily part of the job description — but zero goals in his first 36 games as a Flame had been gnawing at him
Read more »
‘Honestly, I can’t wait’: Flames already pumped for October outdoor gameThe Flames will battle Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at Commonwealth Stadium
Read more »
'Unreal': Flames already pumped for Heritage Classic next OctoberThe Flames will battle Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at Commonwealth Stadium
Read more »
Gagner’s late goal propels Jets to 3-2 win over FlamesSam Gagner scores late game winner as Winnipeg Jets win third straight with 3-2 victory over Calgary Flames
Read more »
Sam Gagner's late goal propels Winnipeg Jets to 3-2 win over Calgary FlamesSam Gagner tipped in a point shot from Ville Heinola with 5:40 left in the third period to lift the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Read more »