The Calgary Flames had their 6 game point streak snapped on Tuesday night as they fell 3-2 at home to the Colorado Avalanche.  While you come away with a lot of things from this one, I came away with one prevailing thought in this hockey game.  The Calgary Flames are a better team than Colorado when the Flames are playing up to snuff…the problem is, they didn’t do it consistently on this night.

When Calgary was hitting on all cylinders in this game, it seemed like it was going to be tough to shut them down.  They were beating the Avalanche to pucks, they were physical, and they were efficient.  This happened a bunch of times throughout the game, and the Avalanche didn’t have an answer.  However, it went from that to all kinds of mental lapses and bad decisions in a hurry…and that was a problem.  Players were pinching too early, giving it away up the middle, missing passes and getting hit off pucks in the neutral zone.

On the flip side, Colorado was strikingly (and sometimes numbingly) consistent.  Even when they fell down in this game for the first time, nothing changed…that was the same thing I noticed in the first meeting between the 2 teams.  Joe Sacco’s team didn’t change anything they were doing once they allowed a Rene Bourque shorthanded goal, and that impressed me.  So, is this Avalanche team extremely talented?  Well, no they’re not…but you can tell they’re committed and are buying into what the coach is saying.

As was talked about prior to the game, special teams was a factor on this night.  Calgary’s powerplay was dismal once again, going without a goal on 3 lackluster opportunities.  Over their last 9 games, Calgary’s PP is 3 for 33 which is good for 9.1%…and you take that Jay Bouwmeester late PP goal in the Toronto game OUT of the equation?  2 for 32 at 6.3%.  And Calgary’s PK has allowed a powerplay goal in their last 3 games…it was really clicking prior to that, but they’ve now allowed 4 goals on 13 opponent opportunities…that’s not good.

Ugh, and the faceoffs were NOT good…they finished 37% in the dot, including a dismal 2 for 12 from Dustin Boyd.  Yikes.  Credit the Avalanche…24 blocked shots, and that might have been low.  Good night for Jarome Iginla; he has 9 points in 7 November games including 8 goals.  He was solid once again.  And don’t point any fingers at Miikka Kiprusoff, he was just fine.

Next up for the Flames, the Blackhawks on Thursday night.  Follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Steinberg960.

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