3 Takeaways From Flames’ 6-3 Loss to the Maple Leafs – The Hockey Writers Calgary Flames Latest News, Analysis & More

The Calgary Flames were not at their best on Tuesday night, and that’s not a recipe for success against a team with as much firepower as the Toronto Maple Leafs. There were far too many defensive breakdowns from the second period on, which is why, despite holding a 1-0 lead after the first period, the Flames lost by a 6-3 final score.

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With the loss, the Flames are now tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They have just two games remaining before the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and will need a far better effort if they hope to come away with four points. With that said, here are the three main takeaways from last night’s outing.

Barrie & Andersson Struggle Immensely

The Flames’ backend had a rough evening. While MacKenzie Weegar and Joel Hanley were solid, the same cannot be said about the rest of the group. Rasmus Andersson, in particular, struggled and finished the game a minus-3. He was directly responsible for the Maple Leafs’ fourth goal, after he got caught low in the offensive zone, which resulted in an odd-man rush the other way.

Another defenceman who really struggled was Tyson Barrie. Despite only playing 14:55 minutes, he was noticeable nearly every shift, and not in a good way. His lack of foot speed was apparent, and he gave the puck away far too often. Don’t be surprised if he’s a healthy scratch on Thursday night.

Dustin Wolf Looks Human

This game can’t be pinned on goaltender Dustin Wolf, as the Flames were a disaster defensively in front of him. That said, he wasn’t the usual dominant Wolf we’ve grown accustomed to seeing, as he failed to give his team the big save they needed at the right opportunity.

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To Wolf’s credit, he battled until the end on a night when it was clear he wasn’t at his best. That was evident early in the third period when he robbed Auston Matthews on a breakaway before Matthew Knies put home the loose change. Wolf allowed five goals on 29 shots and has now lost three of his last four starts.

Penalty Kill Has Rough Showing

The Flames’ penalty kill has been their biggest weakness this season, and they struggled again last night. The Maple Leafs, despite being without one of their best power play producers in Mitch Marner, converted on two of four opportunities.

“I was [seeing it turn around] until tonight,” Flames head coach Ryan Huska said afterward. “I thought we made some poor plays on the kill tonight.”

The Flames have somehow been able to put together a good season despite their penalty-killing struggles, but you have to wonder if it can continue. They are killing off just 72.1 percent of the opposition’s power plays, which ranks 28th in the NHL. Aside from the Minnesota Wild (70.8 percent), every other team with a worse-ranked penalty kill is well outside the playoff picture.

Looking Ahead for the Flames

The Flames have just two games remaining before a lengthy break for the 4 Nations Face-Off beginning on Feb. 12. The first will come on Thursday night versus the Colorado Avalanche, followed up by a Saturday outing against the Seattle Kraken. The Flames and Kraken last played this past Thursday when the Flames walked away with a 3-2 win in a tightly-contested bout.