Flames offence sputters in loss to Rangers

The player with the most upvotes will be considered as the M&G MVP (although they probably won’t be the same as the Flame of the game in the recap), and the player with the most downvotes will be made to write a 500 word essay on what they’ve done wrong and why they should do better. They have trailed after two periods in seven of their eight games. Jiri Hudler gave them the lead in the first period before they went to the third facing a 2-1 deficit. “We’ve got to get that start and carry it through for 60 minutes”.

“It’s disappointing, but it was great to see that we didn’t give up”, Oilers forward Nugent-Hopkins said.

Sunday marked the fifth time the Rangers scored at least four goals in a game, something that may not have happened without Raanta keeping his team within a goal while New York searched for its game. “We’re not scoring enough goals”. The Flames have already waived and demoted one goalie (Karri Ramo), and Jonas Hiller got pulled Sunday after allowing four goals on 21 shots. In 10 games against Calgary, Girardi has three goals and five assists.

“I think our record’s really good, but at the same time we know in here that maybe one or two games we’ve played a 60-minute game really hard”, said alternate captain Dan Girardi, whose go-ahead goal at 16:57 of the second period held up as the game-winner for his 200th career National Hockey League point. Ortio made five saves as Calgary fell to 2-6-0.

The Flames are off to a bit of a rough start this season after coming in with such high expectations as they’re 2-6 on the year and in second to last in the Pacific division and face another tough test on Monday against the Islanders. “They got one, but the character of this team came up again and we got one right back on them”. Marc Staal’s turnover had allowed Johnny Gaudreau in close to feed the open Hudler; Raanta had no chance. After he and Monahan gained the offensive zone, Gaudreau drove to the net.

Pearson’s score came fewer than 3 minutes after Taylor Hall tied it for Edmonton on the power play following Brayden McNabb’s tripping minor.

From that point on, the Rangers continued to pressure the Flames in their own end and they piled on two more goals in the third period. The Rangers have killed 17 straight penalties over their last six games. “I thought it could have gone in”.

Klein and Brassard scored 1:48 apart midway through the third.

“There is no doubt that breakaway save and rebound was a turning point in the game”, Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. When asked directly, neither Vigneault nor a team spokesperson characterized Stalberg’s condition as a concussion. It not only was Girardi’s first goal of the season but the first assist for Etem, who was playing because of the head injury suffered by Viktor Stalberg in Philadelphia. Gudas was not penalized on the play…. The Flames recalled C Derek Grant from their AHL affiliate in Stockton to take Ferland’s spot…. The Flames scratched defenceman Jakub Nakladal and left wing Mason Raymond.