Flames trying to shake off 'worst' playoff effort in 4-1 loss to Oilers
If the Calgary Flames thought their second-round series was going to be a cakewalk after scoring nine goals in the opening game, they forgot the firepower of their opponent.
Evander Kane had a natural hat trick in the second period, Leon Draisaitl had four assists and Connor McDavid had three helpers to put him at 23 points in just 10 games, as the Edmonton Oilers cruised to a 4-1 win Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in the Battle of Alberta series after losing the first game 9-6.
Flames defender Rasmus Andersson felt is was easily his team’s worst effort of the series.
“Yeah, probably. For sure that second period, at least,” he said. “You’re never happy when you play like that and you lose the second period 4-0. We left (goalie Jacob Markstrom) out to dry there one too many times.”
McDavid became the first player in NHL history to record nine multi-point games in the first 10 games of the playoffs and has been a constant thorn in the Flames’ side to this point.
“He had another, what, three or four-point night?” Andersson said. “He played really well today and we just have to find a way to stop him together.”
It certainly wasn't just McDavid, as Draisaitl set an NHL playoff record as well, becoming the first player to ever record four assists in one period.
“They haven’t played at home in this round yet and they were going to come out hard and really play with a lot of purpose in their game, a lot of speed, and they did,” Flames head coach Darryl Sutter said.
The Flames can take solace that they were also down 2-1 in their opening-round series against the Dallas Stars and came back to win in seven games.
“They have home-ice advantage right now. We've got to win one game here to get it back,” said Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. “We could've lost 10-0 tonight. We could've lost 1-0 in overtime. It's the same result. We were in this position last series. It's not that hard of a recipe to figure out here. We've just got to win one game and get the series tied and go back home.”
“That’s the beauty of the playoffs, I guess — it’s a new game in a day-and-a-half and we’re excited for that,” Andersson added. “Now we flip the page, we move on.”
Game 4 takes place on Tuesday in Edmonton with a 7:30 p.m. MT start.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2022
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
BREAKING Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
Widespread theft costing Canada's retail industry dearly: experts
The Retail Council of Canada wants to put a stop to widespread theft within the retail industry, and industry leaders are meeting this week to find solutions.
Former South Dakota mayor charged with triple homicide
Three people were shot to death in a small South Dakota town, and a former law officer who once served as the town's mayor is charged in the killings.
Debunking the 'anti-sunscreen' movement: Doctors say TikTok trend is dangerous
Dermatologists are sounding the alarm about misinformation from the anti-sunscreen movement, saying not wearing sunscreen can cause cancer and other problems.