3 takeaways from the Flames’ 5-1 loss to the Canucks – Hockey Writer – Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames played their second game of the regular season last night against the Vancouver Canucks. They finished with a 5-1 run to move their record to 1-1-0, with the only goal coming from Morgan Frost. Here are three takeaways from last night’s game and how they impact the Flames moving forward.
Dustin Wolfe still has a lot of work to do
Last night wasn’t one of Dustin Wolfe’s best performances as he allowed five goals on 26 shots (.808 save percentage). While you can call off one of those goals – which will be discussed in the second bullet point later – that’s not a great demonstration for a guy trying to prove himself as one of the NHL’s next best goaltenders. A lot of his weaknesses in this game can and should be attributed to his workload. This was the second game of a back-to-back trip, and he started both games. The final game, a victory over the Edmonton Oilers, ended in a lengthy shootout — even more More effort than normal for the goalie.
RELATED: Flames beat Oilers 4-3 in shootout on opening night
There are also rumors that Wolff could start the Flames’ third game of the season, Saturday’s home opener against the St. Louis Blues. Three games in four days is a tall order even for a veteran starter midway through the season, let alone a second-year goalie four days into the season. While Wolf has set the bar high, it’s probably unreasonable to expect the same level of performance for a handful of games if the workload will increase so much. A bad night is never what fans or players want, but if he plays 65 games, it will happen more often. The Flames’ current backup goalie, Devin Cooley, hasn’t exactly proven he can beat Wolfe, even on his best night — or Wolfe’s worst night.
Kevin Barr missed 17 minutes
Wolff’s second goal was a fluke that happens to every goalkeeper. Defender Kevin Barr was in front of the net, beating the Canucks out of the crease on one side. Unfortunately, the puck came off Canuck’s stick and hit Barr in the face, knocking him to the ice. Even though the whistle hadn’t blown yet, the Flames, including Wolff, reacted to Barr’s injury as if it were a game stoppage — and that’s when Filip Chytil scored to give Vancouver the lead. Barr was escorted off the ice and did not return.
While it’s hoped Barr’s injury isn’t serious, his failure to return to the Flames’ bench or the ice following the injury isn’t promising. Calgary’s defense, especially the left-handed one, is already thin, and it will get even thinner if Barr misses significant time. Someone like Mackenzie Wiig will likely have to play to his weaknesses, which would be a temporary fix at best.
Morgan Frost looks to have settled in Calgary
Morgan Frost was one of the Flames’ lone bright spots on a rough night. Acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers last season, Frost struggled to adjust to the change and produced poor results during his tenure in Calgary. That has changed this season, however, as he scored the Flames’ lone goal in the third period. He also had some great puck touches throughout the game, including pushing the Flames’ best line (Frost-Joel Farabee-Egor Sharangovich) without a goal.
What’s next for the Flames?
The Flames let this guy get away from them. After this game, their record is 1-1-0. Their next game will be Saturday, October 11, at home against the St. Louis Blues.
