The Calgary Flames (28-23-9) finally scored a goal and secured a point in their 2-1 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon. Surprisingly, that chain of events puts them in a playoff position after the Vancouver Canucks failed to win on the weekend.
Although three points in four challenging road games is considered a success for many teams, it’s difficult to fathom for a team grasping for every point down the stretch.
After a season-defining performance on Tuesday, the Flames seem a shell of themselves since that outing, which explains why there’s so much to discuss in their latest loss.
Days ahead of the NHL trade deadline (Friday, Mar. 7), the Flames must determine how to acquire another goal scorer. The team has scored a single goal in the last nine periods, waiting for the ninth period to light the lamp.
NHL Highlights | Flames vs. Hurricanes – March 2, 2025 Jackson Blake dished two assists and Sebastian Aho fired the game-winning goal as the Carolina Hurricanes topped the Calgary Flames 2-1 in overtime.———…
Meanwhile, during this most recent stretch of games, Calgary has fallen to the bottom of the league regarding goals per game (2.53), sharing a space with a draft lottery team, the Anaheim Ducks (2.53). At least one of the Ducks’ excuses is their young core. What’s the explanation for the Flames?
The team is loaded with former 20 and 30-goal scorers, so the power outage this season has been and continues to be the one thing holding them back.
Whether it is about winning close games, like Sunday, or making space in the standings, whoever looks back at the 2024-25 season will see their inability to score more than one goal as their most significant unaddressed concern.
Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf have had their fair share of moments throughout the season where they have carried the Flames to a victory. However, it’s become more apparent on this road trip that Calgary would be nowhere near a playoff spot without their two netminders.
After Calgary left Vladar out to dry on Saturday in Florida, the same could be said for their performance on Sunday as Wolf was the only reason Carolina didn’t run the visitors out of the building.
The Flames had ONE shot on goal in the first period, which came late in the frame, while the Hurricanes racked up 12 and finished their afternoon with 33, more than double Calgary’s 16.
There’s a reason Carolina is a top-ten team in the NHL and the Flames are fighting for a playoff spot. But as mentioned, this road trip would be considered an utter disaster without Wolf standing on his head.
The goal scoring has all but dried up, meaning whoever starts needs to be perfect or as perfect as possible for Calgary to have a fighting chance.
Even if the Flames qualify for the playoffs, they will draw a top Western Conference team and unless their goalies collect a handful of shutouts, it could be a short series either way.
Considering the NHL season is winding down and points are at a premium at this stage, every play is as important as the next. On Sunday, Nazem Kadri let his emotions get the best of him, which resulted in the game’s first goal.
Here is what happened with Kadri.
Naz thought there should have been a penalty for the hit by Taylor Hall.
The Hurricanes score after the hit. And then Kadri loses it on the officials.
🎥: Sportsnet | NHL#Flames pic.twitter.com/lhLN3EwTy5
— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 2, 2025
Whether fans and players questioned the hit or not, the referees said play on, and Kadri opted not to let it go. Instead, he got a misconduct penalty, leaving his team shorthanded. Even though Carolina didn’t score on the ensuing power play, Kadri let the play get the better of him and put his team in a difficult situation.
As a leader on and off the ice, it’s okay to get emotional, but when your team hasn’t scored in games, that’s a moment when he picks himself up and finds another way to impact the game. Of course, Kadri would eventually score a goal later, but staying focused on the hit could have proved costly.
The Flames have a chance to sneak into the playoffs, and as they often say, all you have to do is make it and then all bets are off. Right now, until Calgary plays consistent hockey, scores goals, and keeps their emotions in check, it will be a long stretch drive to get to the finale.
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