The Calgary Flames became one of the first teams to play in three Heritage Classic games on Sunday evening, joining their provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers. However, after losing the 2023 Heritage Classic by a score of 5-2, the Flames became the first team to lose at the event twice, dropping to 1-2 in outdoor games.
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Considering Calgary, under new head coach Ryan Huska, continues to struggle, dropping to 31st overall in the standings at 2-6-1, the fan base is growing increasingly impatient with the current direction of the franchise. Ultimately, much of the blame for this poor start falls on superstar players who make millions of dollars but have failed to produce thus far.
Even though there isn’t one player not pulling their weight, it seemingly appears that several high-profile skaters are either doing too much to compensate for their lack of production or have just become snake-bitten at the worst possible times. Of course, a lot of focus is on the goalies, Jacob Markström and Dan Vladar, but without the guys taking care of business in front of them, their job gets more complicated, and there’s only so much these two can do.
Although the statistics will show, the Flames gave the Oilers their best at the Heritage Classic, ultimately coming up short in the end. However, anyone who has watched Calgary this season knows the team has yet to play their best hockey, and despite being one of the top teams regarding shots on goal, they don’t score much to be considered a threat with 30 or more attempts a game. So, as the team prepares for their next contest on Wednesday against a powerhouse Dallas Stars, here are a few takeaways from the 2023 Heritage Classic.
Nazem Kadri Finally Scores, Getting Monkey Off His Back
As the second highest-paid player on the roster, Nazem Kadri had no goals in eight games, finally finding the back of the net at the Heritage Classic. Now, it goes without saying that with 24 shots on goal this year, he’s had his chances but hasn’t been able to finish. However, if anyone was watching closely, lately, Kadri has had an extra step in his game, battling hard and trying to make good plays that result in quality scoring chances.
Interestingly, during the first period of the Heritage Classic, especially with Calgary on the man advantage several times, Kadri appeared to be doing too much. Whether holding onto the puck for too long while looking for the best opportunity or just trying to do everything himself, he looked like someone on a mission to right past wrongs all at once. Ultimately, it worked out with a power play goal. Still, it seems the pressure is finally getting to Kadri, and although he is a gifted player, trying to take on an opponent singlehandedly will not fix a much deeper problem with the Flames’ play.
Jacob Markström Makes Saves, Gives Up Bad Goals
Considering that Markström has been an NHL starter since 2015-16, most people would think his fundamentals would be sound, especially since he’s making $6 million annually. However, one of the biggest knocks against the netminder is his ability to make 40 saves a game but give up those untimely, backbreaking, momentum-killing goals. During the first period at the Heritage Classic, he made six saves to start the contest before the Oilers’ Brett Kulak found himself wide open on the back door to backhand home the game’s first goal.
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Even though the play developed all around him, the end result forced Markstrom to move side to side, and his unorthodox approach to making that particular save looked like a play that Kelly Hrudey would have made in the 1980s instead of a butterfly goal in 2023. Although it was only the first goal, it let the air out of the bag and forced the Flames to play catch-up the rest of the contest.
Ultimately, it’s tough to blame him for the second goal, a three-on-one that made it 2-0, but his body language on the save attempt shows that he lacks confidence in making crucial saves at crucial moments. Unfortunately, he never saw the third goal before a bad bounce on the fourth goal, ending any chances of a Flames’ comeback. However, his reaction to these last few goals is most concerning.
Yes, he’s been one of the best players on the Flames this season, but when the going gets tough, it looks like it hits him harder now than in the past, appearing defeated after getting scored on. Of course, goalies get scored on a few hundred times in their careers, but ever since the 2022 playoffs, Markström doesn’t appear to be himself, and it showed once again under the bright lights of the Heritage Classic.
Flames Lack Passion in Their Game
According to NHL.com, the Oilers outshot the Flames 15-8 in the first period and built a comfortable 3-1 lead. Calgary should have been fired up to play in the Heritage Classic and be a spoiler for a returning Connor McDavid, but they did not register their first shot on goal until 13:58, over six minutes into the contest. By that time, the Oilers were already up 1-0.
Whether it’s the coaching staff, leadership core, or something else, the Flames did not show up for the Heritage Classic and got outplayed by another struggling team. Ultimately, Calgary continues to waste away games, recently getting shut out by the St. Louis Blues on home ice and extending their losing streak (now at five games) in Edmonton in front of the hockey world.
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After the second period, the Sportsnet announcers discussed the shot difference record in an outdoor game. Luckily, the Flames closed the gap to finish the night with 26, losing that battle by eight to avoid going down in the history books. However, that wasn’t the only statistic that hurt the team, as they lost more face-offs, got outhit, and saw more of their shot attempts get blocked.
Considering the Flames are about to play their 10th game, meaning that about 12% of their season is already over, there doesn’t appear to be a sense of urgency in their play to turn things around. Whether they are gripping their sticks too hard or trying to be fancy with their plays, this team is not firing on all cylinders, and they are closer to locking in a draft lottery pick than contending for a wild card spot in November.
