Flames suffer yet another self-inflicted overtime loss vs. Blues

ST. LOUIS - The holidays are over, but the gifts just keep on coming from the Calgary Flames.

The one they handed the St Louis Blues Tuesday was a two-parter, generous enough to make grandma blush.

After squandering a two-goal lead in the third period, the Flames capped an epic face plant with an overtime giveaway that broke the golden rule of 3-on-3 hockey: don’t turn the puck over.

This time the culprit was Jonathan Huberdeau, who lost the puck on the opening shift of overtime while cutting towards the net.

It sent Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas in on a two-on-one against Rasmus Andersson the dynamic duo finished perfectly, giving Jacob Markstrom very little chance.

Quite a way to start what Milan Lucic describes as "the most important road trip of the year," with back-to-back 4-3 overtime losses.   

For those keeping track, the Flames' 2-6 record in overtime this season matches the proficiency rate of their 1-3 record in shootouts.

No team in the league has surrendered more extra points than the nine the Flames have left on the table after 60 minutes.

“To score, you’ve got to have possession and you can’t turn pucks over,” said Darryl Sutter when asked if there’s a pattern to the team’s overtime failures.

“Ya there’s a pattern.”

“We’ve scored one, and won one, and lost eight.”

Easy to lose track of the exact numbers at this point, especially since two nights earlier the Flames dropped an overtime game in Chicago to the cellar-dwelling Hawks, sans Patrick Kane.

In the last month alone, the Flames have had seven games go into extra time, winning just one of them.

While some crow about getting points in 15 of 19 games, Tuesday's dramatic loss will have many stewing in negativity.

You simply can’t make the play Huberdeau did, giving up the puck so easily.

“Sometimes it’s a little easier said than done, but for sure you need to take some sort of risk in order to win the hockey game,” said Nazem Kadri in defence of Huberdeau.

“You can’t try not to lose the game, you’ve got to try to win the game.

“Of course we’ve got to manage the puck a little better in overtime, that’s definitely a golden rule for sure.”

Is it as simple as this: games decided after 60 minutes are merely skill competitions, and the Flames don’t have as much high-end skill as most opponents?

Maybe so.

But the reality on most of these overtime losses is that they’ve been self-inflicted, especially a few of the early ones that came while shorthanded.

“Yeah, it’s challenging for us, it seems, but I think that can be a little deceiving as well – we’ve allowed a few powerplay goals in overtime and that certainly doesn’t help the stats,” said Kadri.

“For us it’s trying to close the games before overtime. It’s anyone’s game 3-on-3, and we’ve got to do a better job before that.”

The Flames entered the third period up 3-1, perhaps safe in the knowledge they were 16-1-2 when leading after two.

Alas, this is St. Louis, where the Flames have long struggled at Enterprise Center against a Blues team that has strengthened its resolve of late to make a desperate push to get back into the playoff race.

Thomas’s overtime goal Tuesday put them in a tie with Edmonton for the last wild card spot, just two points behind the Flames, who the Blues host again Thursday.

Sutter tried to put a brave spin on it, by reiterating what he said in Chicago: 

“Take the point.” 

It’s not that simple.

“It’s just tough the way we let this slip – up two goals in the third period on the road is kind of a good spot to be in and that we let that slip is not very good,” said Andrew Mangiapane, who scored, as did linemate Mikael Backlund. 

“I think in overtime, puck possession and making smart plays with it, and no odd-man rushes is what every team is looking for, and that’s what we’re looking for too.

“It starts with us defensively and not giving them those fast break type of plays. 

“I think that’s where we’re getting hit a little bit right now, in giving up goals against.”

Markstrom played a part, allowing two goals in 28 seconds early in the third, giving up a “friggin’” rebound (as Sutter described it) that handcuffed him on the first, and allowing a long-range shot to beat him on the second.

Sutter’s frustration was also aimed at Nazem Kadri’s line, as the centre was on the ice for all four Blues goals.

“It obviously sucks - that's not the way we wanted to end the game,” said Kadri, whose Globetrotter-like feed to Lucic to open the Flames scoring did well to silence a crowd that booed the former Avalanche forward every time he touched the puck, in honour of his run-in with Jordan Binnington last spring.

“Ideally, you have a two-goal lead in the third period, I think you should win the game. I don’t think we gave up a whole lot. They’ve got some great players over there that take advantage of opportunities. We played 55 good minutes tonight.”

Sounds about right for these Flames.