3 Things From Week 4

3 Things From Week 4

We’re going to try and find some positives from Week 4, but it’s not going to be easy. The Flames dropped all 3 contests from this week, making them 5-5-1 when all was said and done. The Flames collected 5 goals on the week, while giving up an unthinkable 16. Sure the 9-1 loss to Pittsburgh inflates those numbers, but the pucks went in and Calgary had no answers. Here’s the rest of what happened during Week 4.

Blue Line Help Returns

Travis Hamonic returned to the Flames lineup just in time for the Penguins to hang 9 goals on the Flames Thursday night. In a semi head scratcher Juuso Valimaki was scratched for Hamonic’s return ahead of the slumping T.J. Brodie. Short of Hamonic being Superman he wasn’t going to trim down the 9 goals the Penguins scored, but he did chip in during the Flames 4-3 SO loss to the Capitals on Saturday. Hamonic scored his first goal of the season in the first period to get the Flames within a goal. It wasn’t enough to earn the Flames a victory, but getting a goal should get Hamonic back on track after suffering an early season injury.

Power Play Stinks

I feel like this should be it’s own weekly column because the Flames are just so bad. Calgary scored a PPG against the Capitals Saturday, but these markers are about as rare as unicorns and Bigfoot. The Flames PP somehow isn’t last in the league, which is a miracle in itself. The Flames are currently 21st in the league at 15.6%, scoring only 7 times in 45 opportunities! Yowser.

Topsy-Turvy Pacific

Despite 3 losses on the week and having lost 4 out of their last 5 games, the Flames are still only 1 point out of first place in the Pacific. I’m not sure what that means, but it’s good news for the slumping Flames. The rest of the division has flip flopped as well. The bottom of the barrel Oilers, Golden Knights and Coyotes have vaulted up in the division, tying the Flames or getting within 2 points of Calgary. LA continues to be the worst team in the division, but the mediocrity in the Pacific is going to make this season very interesting for sure.

by Mark Parkinson