Flames use flightless Jets as lighter fluid

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/12/2016 (3271 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CALGARY — The Winnipeg Jets should look at the Calgary Flames with respect and admiration.

They just shouldn’t do it when they’re actually playing them.

For the most part Saturday night, the Jets were spectators, offering up little resistance as the red-hot Flames put up a terrific offensive performance at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Winnipeg did little more than cling for dear life in the opening 20 minutes but were burned badly in the second frame, surrendering four goals as the Flames cruised to a 6-2 triumph.

The Flames (16-13-2) won their sixth straight game — this one comfortably — to overtake the Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division.

Winnipeg (13-15-3) is now winless in its last three and is ninth in the Western Conference.

Calgary defenceman Dougie Hamilton ripped a pair of goals past Jets starting goalie Michael Hutchinson, while Mikael Backlund, Sam Bennett, Lance Bouma and Sean Monahan supplied singles.

Matthew Tkachuk, the son of former Jets 1.0 sniper Keith Tkachuk, picked up three assists.

Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers finally snapped his personal 15-game goalless skid with his fifth of the season with 6:01 left in the game and his club already trailing by five.

Defenceman Jacob Trouba scored his first of the year with one second left in the game.

The Flames came in waves and the Jets offered no push back, concerning for an organization that is trying to make strides but keeps tripping over itself, now two games below the .500 mark.

Head coach Paul Maurice said earlier in the day he’s seen some consistency developing the Jets play of late — they were 4-2-1 in their last seven before heading west this weekend.

That’s a hard sell after the drubbing administered by the Flames. The last time the Jets played this poorly — a 4-1 stinker in Boston — Maurice accepted responsibility, suggesting he hadn’t properly prepared his club. His skaters can suck up this one for the poor effort it so clearly was against a squad that’s on the rise.

“We just didn’t play our game. They had odd-man breaks and they capitalized,” said Jets centre Mark Scheifele. “They moved it quick and we didn’t. We’ve to get it out of our mind and focus on (Sunday) and you know have that fire in our belly.

“It sucks, but we can’t dwell on it.”

Calgary netminder Chad Johnson blocked 27 shots for the win.

In a short meeting with the media after the game, Maurice was asked how things went so wrong in the middle frame.

“They had some odd-man rushes. We weren’t very good,” said Maurice. “We were behind the game the entire night.”

Changes don’t work

Mathieu Perreault and Drew Stafford, veteran forwards having a tough time finding themselves after spending big chunks of time sidelined by injuries, were shuffled to a bottom line trio with Chris Thorburn.

Marko Dano was promoted to a top-six role and skated with Scheifele and Blake Wheeler.

Maurice said Saturday morning the moves were made to try and create some balance up and down the lineup as the club plays back-to-back games in Alberta, and, possibly, to spark some offensive production.

“We’ve got a game (Sunday) night and we’re going to need everyone off our bench. So, it’s for some balance on our bench, making sure we can get everyone off our bench,” he said.

The moves did not have the desired effect as the Jets lost puck battles in every zone and could not contain neither the speed nor firepower of the Flames.

Rookie sensation Patrik Laine, who has 17 goals this season, was a non-factor Saturday night.

Hutchinson again

Hutchinson had started just five of the club’s last 20 games, with one victory — a 3-2 decision over the St. Louis Blues last weekend — to show for it.

Maurice gave Hutchinson his second consecutive start Saturday night in Calgary — the first time that’s happened since late October.

The 26-year-old Barrie, Ont., product, who has now started three of the club’s last five contests, had a brilliant first period, blocking 16 shots as the Flames came out firing.

An errant pass by Trouba led to a great scoring chance by Bennett just over eight minutes into the first period but Hutchinson blocked the hard wrist shot from the slot from the second-year Flames centre.

Just two minutes later, Hutchinson turned aside a quick drive by Hamilton and then scrambled to stop Backlund on the rebound before grabbing and holding a shot by Alex Chaisson.

But with his club offering little in the way of defensive aid, Hutchinson was beaten cleanly on brilliant shots by Hamilton and Bennett. Hamilton then scored his second of the game on a long point shot that likely should have been stopped, while Backlund sneaked a puck past him from a bad angle late in the period.

Connor Hellebuyck, who came in to play the final period, will undoubtedly be between the pipes tonight in Edmonton.

Oilers up next

The Jets boarded a plane bound for Edmonton just before midnight Saturday and will require some rest before they face the Oilers at brand-new Rogers Place on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. CT.

Winnipeg has no morning skate scheduled.

The Oilers (14-11-5) are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss Friday night to the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn.

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca          Twitter: @WFPJasonBell