Add frustration to the litaney of things plaguing the Flames these days.

   In losing 2-1 to San Jose on Monday, the Flames played well enough to win in outshooting the Sharks, but they couldn’t the puck past Evgeni Nabakov other than Jarome Iginla’s goal in the first period.

   You might add surprise to the list, too.

   The Sharks, the second highest scoring team in the West Conference, generally play more of a free-flowing game.  With nine players out with injury, the Sharks played a tight-to-the-vest style with even the high scoring forwards like Thornton, Pavelski, Setoguchi, Michalek and Cheechoo buying in. The Flames were cautioned by the coaches’ about what would be coming but still it wasn’t the norm for the NHL’s #1 team.

   The Flames couldn’t get much tempo going and when they did manage to get a good scoring chance Nabakov was sharp turning them away with 28 saves or the Shark defenders stopped them with defender blocking 19 Flames shots.

   For the 2nd straight game the Flames limited their opponent to shots in the teens with Miikka Kiprusoff facing 17 shots.

   About only way the Flames could have changed the Sharks style was to get the lead, which they never did.

   Now the Flames lead at the top of the NW Division could be gone as soon as Tuesday night. Vancouver Canucks use up their game-in-hand on the Flames in Minnesota and a win would see them leap over the Flames by a point.

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