Instant Reaction: Flames found lacking against Penguins

First period shots were 11-5 Penguins. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 11-8 Flames and high-danger scoring chances were 2-2.

12:32 into the second period, the Penguins scored again. This time, it was a nice little passing play that set up Egor Chinakhov with a clear shooting lane from the high slot. He wired a shot past Wolf to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Late in the second, though, the Flames got a glimmer of hope. With 2.7 seconds left, Zach Whitecloud’s point shot deflected off Yegor Sharangovich – we think it hit his pants – and eluded Stuart Skinner to cut the Penguins’ lead to 2-1.

Second period shots were 9-8 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 12-10 Penguins and high-danger scoring chances were 3-2 Penguins.

But early in the third period, just 50 seconds in, the visitors expanded their lead. A Bryan Rust wrap-around attempt rattled around the crease area and trickled past Wolf to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead.

Tommy Novak made it 4-1 later in the third period, taking advantage of some soft rush defence and chipping the puck over top of Wolf.

The Penguins managed their lead well and skated to a 4-1 win.

Third period shots were 6-5 Penguins.

Why the Flames lost

The Flames didn’t have much going on offensively, and they didn’t do very much to challenge Stuart Skinner in the Penguins net. He faced a lot of fairly routine shots. But the big problem was that the Flames just weren’t all that good defensively. Their in-zone defensive coverage afforded the Penguins a ton of time and space, and they took advantage of it.

Dustin Wolf wasn’t great in this game, but he didn’t get a ton of help from the guys in front of him.

Red Warrior

We’ll give it to the new guy. Whitecloud’s shot ended up in the back of the Penguins net, by way of a deflection, and he was generally rock-solid in his second outing with the Flames.

Turning point

The Flames just can’t give up a goal to the Penguins that early in the third period. A late second period goal gave them hope. An early third period goal snuffed it out.

This and that

Jonathan Huberdeau missed this game with what the team announced as a lower-body injury. (He’s day-to-day.) Martin Pospisil returned to action after missing the first 49 games of the season with what the team called an undisclosed injury.

This was MacKenzie Weegar’s 600th NHL game.

After Burner

Join Dean “Boomer” Molberg and Mike Gould right after the game for After Burner!

Up next

The Flames (21-24-5) host the Washington Capitals on Friday night.