Flames Struggle in Opening Week
The Calgary Flames opened their much anticipated 2016-2017 season in forgettable fashion. Starting the year with no wins – against teams that were basement dwellers in the prior season. The Oilers, who handed the Flames two regulation losses, finished 29th in the NHL last year. The other winners this week, the Vancouver Canucks, were not much better, finishing 28th. For the Flames to open the year with three losses, and only one point, there is undoubtedly concern brewing amongst a fan base that is anxious to see the excitement that the 2015 playoffs brought.
In hoping to spoil the inaugural game at the brand new Rogers Place in Edmonton, the Flames themselves had their efforts spoiled. Newly named Oilers captain Connor McDavid, dazzled in his debut with as team leader, scoring twice and adding an assist. Though the Flames found the scoreboard four times, McDavid and company were too much for Calgary, answering with seven goals themselves.
The Battle of Alberta was back on two nights later, as the Oilers came south for the Flames’ home opener. The Flames started strong, with Sean Monahan scoring early in the game. However, the Oilers’ lottery luck of the past contributed again. McDavid answered, scoring once and adding two assists – six points over two games against Flames. The third overall pick of 2014 – Leon Draisaitl scored twice to take a 2-0 lead in the season series.
The Flames had a chance to get in the win column for the first time in the new season against Vancouver on Saturday night, a team many experts predict to be near the basement of the league come spring. The Flames scored in the first, on one of the strangest goals that many. After touching the puck, Troy Brouwer took a holding penalty. With Canucks goalie Ryan Miller on the bench for the delayed penalty, the Canucks misplayed the puck, and it slid into the empty net, giving the Flames an odd one-goal lead. Of some concern is that this would be the only puck that crossed the Canucks goal line on Saturday night. The game would remain 1-0 for the Flames for the majority of the game, until late in the third period. The Canucks top line of the Sedin twins and fellow Swede Loui Eriksson held the puck in the Flames end for what seemed like an eternity. All five Flames defending were on the ice for at least 1:48, being near exhaustion when Daniel Sedin scored with just under four minutes remaining in regulation. Overtime would solve nothing, and both the Flames’ and Canucks’ first three shooters were all stopped by Ryan Miller and Chad Johnson, who both shone on this night. Finally, after Miller stopped recent signing Kris Versteeg, Brandon Sutter would on what would be the final attempt of the night, sealing the Flames’ fate.
