Instant Reaction: Flames fade in loss to Canucks

First period shots were 8-6 Canucks. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 5-4 Flames and high-dangers were 1-0 Flames.

Early in the second period, things got a bit chippy. MacKenzie Weegar hit Elias Pettersson (the forward) and Pettersson went down awkwardly into the boards. The play was initially called a boarding major, but was reduced on review to a minor penalty.

Later in the period, Elias Pettersson (the defenceman) sent Connor Zary into the boards heavily from behind. That play was called a major on the ice, but was also reduced to a minor after a review.

Second period shots were 8-7 Canucks. 5v5 scoring chances were 4-1 Flames and high-dangers were 1-0 Flames.

The Canucks added another goal in the third period on a very weird play. Filip Chytil fired the puck towards the Flames net, but the puck deflected off a stick and cracked Kevin Bahl in the back of the head and he went down hard. The puck went back to Chytil and with a few Flames distracted by their downed teammate, Chytil fired the puck into the net to give the Canucks a 2-0 lead.

The Flames pressed for a goal, with Matt Coronato getting a grade-A chance that narrowly missed the net. Arshdeep Bains sent Chytil in alone on Wolf and he beat him on a breakaway to make it 3-0 Canucks.

A little later the Canucks made it 4-0, as on a long cycle play Evander Kane fed Jonathan Lekkerimaki for a one-timer that beat Wolf to make it 4-0 Canucks.

Morgan Frost broke Thatcher Demko’s shutout bid with a nice spinning shot (with a screen from Joel Farabee) to cut the Vancouver lead to 4-1.

But Brock Boeser beat Wolf with a wrister with regulation winding down to make this a 5-1 Canucks win.

Third period shots were 10-5 Canucks.

Why the Flames lost

The Flames just lost steam as this game went on. Vancouver did a nice job playing their game and wearing the Flames down. And yeah, the Flames were victimized by a few bad bounces, but this was as much about Vancouver doing the right things as it was about the Flames fading and just running out of gas.

Red Warrior

Let’s give it to the line of Farabee, Frost and Sharangovich, who were pretty noticeable the whole game.

Turning point

The second Vancouver goal was a tough one. Kevin Bahl was knocked out of the game and the Flames got scored on. And from then on out, the Flames seemed pretty discombobulated.

This and that

Dustin Wolf started this game, the first set of starts on back-to-back nights of his NHL career.

After Burner

Join myself and Mike Gould right after the game for After Burner!

Up next

The Flames (1-1-0) are headed home. They’re back in action on Saturday afternoon fro their home-opener against the St. Louis Blues.