CALGARY – Stop me if you’ve heard this before.
The Calgary Flames followed up an emotional win with a one-goal loss to (insert name of bottom-feeding team), turning (insert name of unknown goalie) into a star despite outshooting them (insert meaningless stat) before (insert name of budding young player) scored the game winner.
Chris Tanev referred to it as the “one-game-we’re good, one-game-we-suck,” pattern.
The locals (and agent Allen Walsh) refer to their hamster-wheel approach as the definition of insanity.
Rinse and repeat.
Over and over.
Following Saturday’s win over the Rangers, Monday’s Family Day matinee saw Philadelphia fill in the predictable blanks, using Samuel Ersson in net, who made 33 saves before Wade Allison snapped a 3-3 tie with nine minutes remaining.
Oh sure, the Flames broke their normal routine by scoring twice in the third, threatening to pull off their first final-period comeback victory in 15 attempts.
However, in the end, it was the same old.
If it feels like the Flames save their worst hockey for the NHL’s worst teams, you might be comforted in knowing you’re not wrong.
Against teams currently sitting outside the playoffs, the Flames have stumbled to an 11-11-6 record.
That’s 17 losses against bottom feeders – the type of games that are considered baseline wins if you are to make the playoffs.
“We’re not helping ourselves,” groused Mikael Backlund, whose second-period goal got the Flames within one, extending his points streak to seven games.
“It’s hard to play these guys too. No team is easy in this league – it’s the best league in the world.
“I’ve been in the position where you’re way out of the playoffs and most of those teams are young teams with guys who want to prove themselves in the league or get new deals.
“If you give them some life, they’re hanging around.
“That’s been our issue. We haven’t put our foot on the gas and taken over games and pushed them out of games.
“It’s making it hard on ourselves.”
Of their last six losses, four came against goalies with names like Jaxson Stauber, Mads Sogaard, Magnus Hellberg and, on Monday, Ersson.
The 23-year-old fifth rounder did well to put his 172-pound frame in front of plenty of high-quality Flames chances to run his career-opening win streak to six games.
There was a timely post aiding his cause late in the proceedings, as well as a few that rattled off the fifth-rounder’s torso almost by accident.
“Yeah, he made some pretty big saves there,” said Andrew Mangiapane, who tied the game with 11 minutes left.
“I don’t know, I kinda feel like it’s happening a little too much now and we’ve got to put the onus on ourselves.”
No question.
Thing is, offensively isn’t where the Flames felt challenged Monday – it was in their own zone, where coverage was an issue on all four finishes.
Jacob Markstrom had little chance on the first three, with the game-winner being a finish in-tight everyone in red would like to have back.
With morale on the wane, inside and outside the dressing room, it’s getting harder and harder to believe this Flames club is capable of piecing together the type of run required to stay in this playoff race.
Their longest win streak of the year has been three games.
It’s been almost a month since they’ve won a measly back-to-back.
“I think it just comes down to us being consistent,” said Noah Hanifin.
“At this time of year, no matter who we are playing – top team or bottom team – we’ve got to worry about Flames hockey and play consistently.
“We can’t let our game dip at all. The rest of the year we’re going to have to tighten that up, obviously.”
It could get worse, as the Flames now set out for a three-game roadie starting in Tempe, Arizona to play a top contender for the Connor Bedard contestant, followed by a game 24 hours later in Vegas where the Flames have never, ever won.
After that, the defending champs.
And they’ll likely make the journey without Michael Stone, who was seen sporting a boot and crutches as he hobbled into the Dome Monday.
Limping along – something these Flames know all about.
