The Calgary Flames have had an awfully difficult schedule as of late, but don’t expect to hear them make any complaints over it.
The Flames fell on the road to the Vancouver Canucks by a 3-1 final last night to drop their record to 8-6-3 on the season. It was a scheduled loss in a sense, given that they had taken on the LA Kings at the Saddledome just 24 hours prior.
As if a back-to-back set in different cities isn’t hard enough, last night was also the Flames’ 12th game in the last 22 days. They appeared fatigued last night, failing to generate much in terms of scoring chances.
“It’s the way it is, you have to do it. If you want to win and you want to get where we want to be, you have to find a way to win these games,” head coach Ryan Huska said when asked about the gruelling schedule. “That’s all part of it, and it’s something that we have to be better at next time.”
Over the 12-game stretch, the Flames had a 4-6-2 record. That is by no means ideal, though their effort level in all games, including last night’s, bodes well for them moving forward.
“I thought the work ethic was there from our guys, but some of the decision-making wasn’t the greatest,” Huska said. “I think that’s what got us into trouble in certain times. We were coming off a stretch where we played a lot, and I think in those situations that’s where the team’s got to learn to simplify at times.”
Thankfully for the Flames, their hot start to the season has kept them above water as they sit in the top wild-card position in the Western Conference.
Now, for the first time in nearly a month, the Flames have some time to rest, as they aren’t back in action until Friday versus the Nashville Predators. They’ll then have another well-deserved three-day break before facing the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
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