Flames Thoroughly Embarrassed By Panthers In 6-2 Loss

Calgary Flames 2 – Florida Panthers 6

Complete Stats

Scoring

1st Period: FLA 5:58- PPG Hornqvist (Huberdeau/Ekblad), CGY 7:03- Gaudreau (Tkachuk/Kylington), CGY 10:04- Colman (Backlund/Zadorov), FLA 13:01- Duclair (Forsling/Montour), FLA 18:51- PPG Thornton (Montour/Verhaeghe)

2nd Period: FLA 19:43- Lomberg (Luostarinen/Montour)

3rd Period: FLA 5:47- Hornqvist (Unassisted), FLA 13:04- Carlsson (Verhaeghe/Lundell)

Outside of that headline, there really isn’t much to say about this mess that happened tonight. Calgary came into this contest riding a two game winning streak, but that is no more as the Florida Panthers showed Calgary why they are one of the best teams in the East.

The Flames actually had a lead at one point in the first period after Johnny Gaudreau got the Flames even and Blake Coleman beat Sergei Bobrovsky with a shot that he’s surely like back and it was 2-1. That was at 10:04 in the opening frame. That would be the last time the Flames would light the lamp.

From that point on this was ALL Florida Panthers as they would rip off five straight goals en route to a 6-2 dismantling of the visiting Flames. Calgary might have had a chance to get back in this game, but a late (19:43 late) second period marker from former Flame Ryan Lomberg gave the Panthers a 4-2 lead that only grew from there. Florida would add two more in the third period and that was all she wrote as the Flames would head to the locker room with their tails between their legs and a 6-2 loss.

Highlights

Johnny Gaudreau with a breakaway marker

Blake Coleman gives the Flames a lead

Final Thoughts

-One of Calgary’s problems on the night was the guy at the other end of the ice named Sergei Bobrovsky. After that iffy goal by Blake Coleman midway through the first period the Panthers netminder would shut the Flames down, stopping 47 of 49 shots on his way to a dominating win. He stopped 41 in a row after that goal.

-Speaking of goalies, Jacob Markstrom took this one on the chin tonight for sure. Some nights you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. Markstrom was the bug tonight. In his defence, the first 3 goals weren’t his fault. One was a screen. One was a tip. One was put in by Chris Tanev, who in actuality should have been in the penalty box for hooking, but Noah Hanifin went for some reason. So hang a few on Markstrom, but his team hung him out to dry in the first period with ZERO net front presence on defence. He made so many key saves in the in second period, stopping 20 of 21 in the second frame. Can’t blame the goalie here.

-The Panthers are a legit team. Yes, Calgary gave them a ton of quality chances and multiple breakaways, but this team can straight up score. Florida had 49 SOG and had 12 different players pick up a point on the evening.

-The Flames special teams last let down tonight. Florida had a middle of the pack PP coming into the evening and the Flames 4th best overall PK got beat up. They finished the night 1-3 playing without a skater, which isn’t good enough against a offensive powerhouse like Florida.

Flame Of The Game

Blake Coleman (F): 1 goal, 12 SOG, 5 blocked shots, 2:14 of PK time

What’s Next?

1/6: Calgary Flames @ Tampa Bay Lightning, 5 PM MT

by Mark Parkinson