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Five observations from Calgary vs San Jose:
1. Mike Smith was off
Good goaltending doesn't guarantee a win but it's pretty near impossible to get one without it. Last night was a good example of that.
Following an excellent effort against Edmonton, Smith was a complete disaster vs San Jose from the word go.
Smith's rebound control was poor, he didn't track the puck well, and he allowed at least two or three goals that you fully expect him – or most NHL goaltenders – to stop.
He has been fantastic for the vast majority of the year, and is a key reason the Flames aren't miles out of a playoff spot, but he sure picked a bad game to fall apart.
Naturally the night he can't stop a beach ball is one where the Flames finally give him legitimate goal support. It's just been that kind of year.
2. The Flames didn't defend very well
Smith's struggles were a big factor in why the Flames lost. That doesn't mean they were the only factor.
While the Flames didn't give up much in volume, they did give up a fair bit in terms of quality. They really struggled defending the net as that was a nice little hot spot for the Sharks' offense.
As you can see, the Sharks made the area just outside the crease their home at 5v5 and they were rewarded with four goals.
Not all the goals were good but if you can't defend around the net, you're going to run into some problems regardless.
3. Johnny Gaudreau stood out
No. 13 was once again at or near the top of the list in terms of positives.
He was strong in possession, he generated four scoring chances, and he danced around several Sharks players – including one of the league's best defenders in Marc-Edouard Vlasic – en route to a beautiful goal that pretty much only he could make look so routine.
Gaudreau now has 81 points in 72 games. It's too bad it's likely going to waste.
4. 2M + Bennett struggled
In my game preview, I mentioned how well the Evander Kane - Joe Pavelski duo has been playing and that the 2M + Bennett line could have its hands full. That certainly proved to be true.
In ~8 minutes of head-to-head competition, the Sharks out-chanced the Flames 8-3 and scored three goals.
San Jose's top line is capable of generating offense against pretty much anyone but I imagine the story would have been a little different if Matthew Tkachuk played.
5. All but over
Calgary's playoff hopes were looking pretty slim prior to the game. With another regulation loss in their back pocket, they're pretty much non-existent now.
SportsClubStats gives them an 8.8% chance of making the playoffs. Realistically, the Flames would have to go something like 7-1-2 to get in. Given their inability to put together a string of wins, or get out of their own way, that seems like an extremely unlikely proposition – especially given their remaining schedule.
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