Calgary Flames Special Teams Are Starting To Fall Apart Again
The Calgary Flames had some of the worst special team stats to start off the season. With the last few weeks having a drastic improvement, was it false hope?
The start to the season for the Calgary Flames was as bad as their special teams. They went 5-10-1 in their first sixteen games and were second last in the league. Their awful special teams were definitely a factor for this.
In that first sixteen game stretch, they were second last on the PP with 9.4% and scored just five goals on 53 PP opportunities. They were also second last on the PK with 73.0% and allowed 17 PPGA on 63 times short-handed.
In their next 15 games, they went 11-3-1 and were first in the league for points in that time frame. Both of their special teams had a big improvement as well. They went 22.7% on the PP and scored 10 PPG on 44 PP opportunities. They doubled their amount of PPGs in less amount of games and less PP opportunities. During that time frame, they were fifth in the league on the PP. On the PK, they had a 86.0% success rate and allowed just seven PPGA on 50 time short-handed.
But their last couple games didn’t look too great.
In their last two games, they may have good PP numbers, but they’ve also allowed two shorthanded goals. They’ve also lost both games and broke their six-game win streak. Their PK is just at 75.0% and they’ve allowed two goals on eight times shorthanded.
They have three PPG in nine PP opportunities in those two games, giving them 33.3% PP. However, in their power plays, they’ve had good opportunities, but they just couldn’t capitalize on them.
Last Two Games
Against the Columbus Blue Jackets on December 16th, they lost 4-1. They also went 1/5 on the PP and killed off two of three penalties. If they were maybe able to capitalize on one more PP and didn’t let them get that shorthanded goal, and maybe killed off all three penalties, this would have been a different game. Given that the Blue Jackets are the number one team on the PP in the league so it’s harder to kill off penalties, but the outcome could have been different.
Dec 16, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (8) celebrates his goal with teammates against the Calgary Flames during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
On December 14th, they played the Tampa Bay Lightning (insert war flashbacks to 2004). The Calgary Flames lost 6-3 (one was an empty netter at the end of the game). Their special teams were actually pretty decent in this game, so we can’t really blame this loss on that. They went 2/4 on the PP and killed off four of five penalties. The Lightning did end up getting a shorthanded goal in this game. If they didn’t get that shorty and if Flames maybe killed off that last Bolts PP, this outcome could have also been different.
In the last few games, their special teams stats may look alright, but if you’re watching their games, it gets frustrating. And after those two losses, they may be in a playoff spot. But they have a few games on the other teams and their points percentage says otherwise. And if they continue with how they’ve been playing the last couple games, their season will end in April.
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