The Calgary Flames dropped a second-straight game in overtime, falling to the Ottawa Senators by a 3-2 final on Thursday night. This one had a bit of everything, from great goals to big saves, and even some rather questionable officiating. It was yet another action-packed game at the Saddledome, which we have had plenty of so far this season.
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The Flames now sit at a rather mediocre 15-11-7 through 33 games, albeit a record fans wouldn’t have expected heading into the season. While a win would have been massive last night, it was still impressive to see them pick up a point against a buzzing Senators team. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from last night’s game.
Huberdeau Scores Again
Jonathan Huberdeau is quietly putting together a big season for the Flames. He leads the team with 23 points, and his 12 goals are tied with Nazem Kadri for the top spot. He was able to find the back of the net last night, and through just 33 games, has already matched his goal total from a season ago.
Huberdeau is currently on pace for 32 goals, which would set a new career high. The points may not be rolling in the way they did for him with the Florida Panthers, but considering how the last two seasons have gone, Flames fans would be thrilled to see him reach the 30-goal plateau. He is a big part of the reason this team has had a successful start to the season.
Missed Calls From Refs
This game wasn’t a banner night for the men in stripes. Flames fans became upset with the referees late in the first period after a blatant sucker punch from Shane Pinto on Martin Pospisil went uncalled. Most in the building saw it clear as day, but the two capable of making the call missed it.
There was another blown call in overtime, as Huberdeau went sprawling into the boards after missing a breakaway due to taking a stick from Brady Tkachuk to the face. As he remained on the ice, the Senators took the puck the other way, and it was Tkachuk scoring the winner. Huberdeau skated to the refs to plead his case, but to no avail.
“I saw a chance for two calls to be made, and they weren’t. Then, the guy that should have probably been sitting in the box for four minutes ends up scoring,” an animated Ryan Huska said after the game.
To the defence of the refs, another questionable call went in the Flames’ favour, as Huberdeau’s goal in the second period looked like a kicking motion to many. It was called a goal on the ice, and wound up standing after a review.
Flames Ran Into a Hot Goalie
For the most part this season, the Flames have been the team walking away with two points as a result of a hot goaltender, In this one, it was the exact opposite, as they deserved two points but were turned away time and time again by 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark.
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Ullmark wound up kicking aside 29 of the 31 shots he faced, and is now on a personal seven-game winning streak. He also picked up an assist on the Senators’ game-winning goal. Through 22 games with his new team, he has a 2.37 goals-against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage (SV%).
Looking Ahead for the Flames
By getting a single point, the Flames were able to remain in front of the Colorado Avalanche for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They have just one game remaining on their schedule before the holidays, which will come tomorrow afternoon at the Saddledome against the Chicago Blackhawks, who have heated up a bit with three straight wins. Should the Flames pick up the victory, they’ll likely remain in a playoff spot over the holidays.
