Breadcrumb Trail Links
- NHL
- Calgary Flames
<p>Publishing date:</p> Jan 19, 2022 • January 19, 2022 • 4 minute read • <a href="#comments-area"> Join the conversation </a> <img alt="Flames forward Blake Coleman scores on Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight during first-period NHL action at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Tuesday night." height="750" src="https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/calgarysun/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/sun-flames1-20-w.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216" width="1000" />Flames forward Blake Coleman scores on Florida Panthers goalie Spencer Knight during first-period NHL action at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Tuesday night. Photo by DARREN MAKOWICHUK /Postmedia <h2>Article content</h2> <p>There was a lot to like about the way the Calgary Flames responded against the Florida Panthers, showing signs they have climbed out of a tough two-week stretch and are treating the rough patch as merely a blip on their season.</p> <h2>Advertisement</h2> <p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. </p> <h2>Article content</h2> <p>A win over the Panthers was big, yes, and a confidence-builder after a four-game losing skid which saw plenty go wrong for the group, from secondary scoring, from a lack of emotion, to shaky moments of goaltending, to struggling defensive pairings.</p> <p>But, let’s just pump the brakes a bit and remind ourselves that it is only one game.</p> <p>And they haven’t convinced anyone — especially their head coach — that they’re good enough to hoist the Stanley Cup, contend in the post-season, or, heck, even make the playoffs just yet.</p> <p>For Darryl Sutter, even before the club’s 5-1 win on Tuesday, it’s always been about the bigger picture.</p> <p>“What’s also important is not losing sight of the fact that we set our targets late in the summer — to be an honest, hard-working team,” Sutter was saying earlier in the day, following the team’s morning skate and chatting with the media over Zoom. “If we’re an honest, hard-working team, we’ll win our share. And if we’re not, we won’t.”</p> <h2>Advertisement</h2> <p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. </p> <h2>Article content</h2> <p>Seems simple, doesn’t it?</p> <p>But just last week, simple wasn’t working for them and they were trying to dig themselves out of a hole that saw them out-scored 20-7 in four games, including suffering a 4-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators at home.</p> <p>Eight different players found the scoresheet on Tuesday against the Panthers, including Sean Monahan, who desperately needed a performance like the one he had, scoring two, which has now given him six this season and 18 points. Johnny Gaudreau had four assists while Rasmus Andersson notched his first marker of the season. Matthew Tkachuk scored his 17th while Blake Coleman, largely acquired for his secondary scoring abilities, added another.</p> <p>They all needed that win.</p> <p>“It’s hard, coming to the rink when you’re not playing well and losing games and you’re falling out of the playoffs,” Gaudreau said after Tuesday‘s pre-game skate. “You can keep going on and on down, through the list. We do our business on the ice and off the ice, just try to keep things light and make sure we still enjoy coming to the rink. We are pretty privileged to do what we do. At the end of the day, it’s still difficult sometimes.</p> <h2>Advertisement</h2> <p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. </p> <h2>Article content</h2> <p>“But we try to have fun with it.”</p> <p>The Flames’ earned a much-needed recovery day on Wednesday, but you can bet when they arrive at Scotiabank Saddledome Thursday things will look a little different. They always do after a victory.</p> <p>But the truth is, the Flames need more than just one.</p> <p>At 18-11-6 and fifth in the Pacific Division heading into Wednesday’s NHL action, they’ve been slipping for some time, even before their COVID-19/Omicron outbreak on Dec. 11.</p> <p>Thanks to a 12-4-5 start to the season, they’ve built a cushion, but it won’t last for long if they can’t make up the ground they lost.</p> <p>“Obviously it goes without saying how important it is to start to pile on some wins here,” Coleman offered. “We do have some games in hand which only benefits you if you start winning games. We know the urgency is now and we know we need to have a better showing than we did last game.</p> <h2>Advertisement</h2> <p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. </p> <h2>Article content</h2> <p>“It’s tough when you’re not able to get in a rhythm and constantly practising.”</p> <p>It’s true, the Flames have done more practising than playing lately but that’s about to change quickly.</p> <p>The revised NHL schedule was released Wednesday afternoon and the Flames have 10 make-up games, including seven home games scattered during the previously reserved NHL Olympic break in February.</p> <p>Following Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, they’ll return to a somewhat normal schedule with four games in six nights, including two games at home — Monday against St. Louis Blues (7 p.m., Sportsnet One, Sportsnet 960 The Fan) and Jan. 29 against Vancouver (8 p.m., CBC, Sportsnet, City, Sportsnet 960 The Fan) — and a back-to-back set at Columbus and St. Louis on Wednesday and Thursday.</p> <h2>Advertisement</h2> <p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. </p> <h2>Article content</h2> <p>Nearly 60 per cent of their remaining games are at home, which is advantageous only if they improve on their 5-4-4 home record. But, to be fair, they have only skated 13 times at Scotiabank Saddledome this season (the least in the NHL).</p> <p>Adversity is, almost always, a telling sign of character, and the Flames have a chance to right the ship.</p> <p>Lessons learned?</p> <p>We’ll see…</p> <p>“It’s more important you don’t let things go the other way, and don’t let negativity creep into the room,” Coleman had said, regarding the Flames’ recent slump. “You don’t let finger-pointing start happening in the room. I think the only way out of these situations is for every guy to take it on themselves to be better, to find a way to improve their game and obviously that will collectively make our group better … that’s kind of where it starts is the accountability.”</p> <p>But Tuesday’s win was definitely something to build off of.</p> <p>“It should give us confidence, just playing a more solid game than the past,” Tkachuk said. “Now another couple days until Saturday so we’ll just try to get some rest and get some good work in and come out and try to play one of our best games on Saturday.”</p> <p><a href="https://calgarysun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/calgary-flames/kanderson@postmedia.com">kanderson@postmedia.com</a></p> <h2>Advertisement</h2> <p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. </p> <h2>Article content</h2> <h2>Share this article in your social network</h2> <ol></ol> <h2>Advertisement</h2> <p> This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. </p> <img alt="Calgary Sun Headline News logo" height="80" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/pmd-stage-northamerica-northeast1-dcs-static-files/9.3.1/websites/images/newsletters/logo/newsletter-envelope.svg" width="97" /> <p>Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Calgary SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.</p> By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 <h3>Thanks for signing up!</h3> <p>A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.</p> <p>The next issue of Calgary Sun Headline News will soon be in your inbox.</p> <p> We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again </p> <h3>Comments</h3> <p> Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. We have enabled email notifications—you will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our <a href="https://pages.postmedia.com/community-guidelines/">Community Guidelines</a> for more information and details on how to adjust your <a href="https://pages.postmedia.com/community-guidelines/#FAQ8">email</a> settings. </p>
Read more from this Story
Related
