Blackhawks, Flames fighting for playoff spots (Feb 03, 2018)
CALGARY, Alberta -- It's retro night in Calgary on Saturday night and the Chicago Blackhawks would like nothing better than to turn back the clock and look like the powerhouse of the past.
The Blackhawks (24-20-7) face the struggling Flames looking to find their mojo. Chicago is last in the Central Division and is five points back of a wild-card berth with 31 games remaining.
"We're going into Calgary with a team that's kind of comparable where we're at, so the stakes keep getting higher," Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said.
Chicago's power play is a problem. They are 29th out of 31 teams with a 15.0 percent efficiency. In Thursday's loss in Vancouver they were 0-4, which was raised in post-game scrums.
"When you score on the power play, you get a good mojo and momentum. When you let that slip away the other team gets momentum," said Alex DeBrincat.
The Blackhawks have not won three consecutive games since a five-game winning streak Dec. 8-17. Chicago had won two straight going into Vancouver but the Blackhawks have now not won three consecutive games since a five-game winning streak Dec. 8-17.
"Everybody's got meaning to every single shift every single night could be the difference in the game. Everybody needs to point. I had a little excitement going into tonight's game knowing we've got to get on a run," he said.
But it didn't happen.
Calgary's got big problems of its own heading into Saturday's tilt, its final game of a disastrous three-game home stand that followed the All-Star break in which the Flames lost the first two in dramatic fashion.
The Flames (25-18-8) surrendered three goals in the final 1:46 to lose 4-2 to Vegas on Tuesday, then gave up four unanswered goals in the third on Thursday to fall 7-4 to Tampa Bay.
The Flames are winless in their last six (0-4-2) and have moved out of a wild-card spot and into the fifth spot in the Pacific Division. They begin a six-game road trip Tuesday in Chicago.
For the first time this season, Calgary is dealing with a goaltending situation. Top man Mike Smith, who has been stalwart in his first season in Calgary after a summer trade from Arizona, struggled and was pulled against Tampa Bay. He was pulled in the third.
"What are we? Game 51? This is the first time that our goaltending couldn't be considered a start in a game," Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan said.
Somehow, Calgary has to get rid of negative thoughts heading into this next stretch, center Sean Monahan said. "Right now, we've got to stay positive with it, it's an important stretch of the season. We've got to move on quickly," he said.
This is the second of three meetings between the teams this season. The Flames won 4-3 in overtime on home ice New Year's Eve. Tuesday's game in Chicago will round out their head-to-head schedule.
