The chase continues for the Calgary Flames.
Not just in the Western Conference playoff race, but in-games, with far too much regularity.
The Flames are in desperate need of finding a way to stop spending so much time trailing matchups.
On Sunday, it mattered not, as the Flames stole two points in Minnesota despite failing to lead at all in an improbable 5-4 shootout win over the Wild.
The Flames managed to bounce back four separate times to tie the game, sending it into overtime thanks to a Mark Giordano goal with six minutes remaining.
The bad news is that the team fell even closer to the bottom of the league in terms of minutes spent chasing the opposition.
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The Flames entered the game against the Wild with one of the league’s highest percentages of time trailing this season at 39.7 per cent.
Only three teams – the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators – had spent more time in such deficits.
Following Sunday’s game of tag, the Flames actually dropped below lowly Ottawa on that list, to rank third in the dubious category.
In three of their last four games, the Flames have dug early holes, including Sunday’s early setback when Kevin Fiala scored five minutes in.
It kicked off an entertaining, see-saw battle, and the Flames deserve plenty of credit for persevering through to the end.
Milan Lucic kick-started the uphill climb back from four different deficits with a fluky power-play goal off his foot that tied it 1-1.
A mere 34 seconds later, the Wild went up 2-1.
Still in the first, Travis Hamonic tied it, only to have Marcus Foligno respond four minutes later.
Michael Stone leveled things early in the third, before Jordan Greenway upped the ante a fourth time, just 42 seconds later.
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See the pattern?
Cue Giordano’s late goal, which was another lucky break for the Flames as his centering pass went in past Alex Stalock after bouncing off the stick of Wild veteran Ryan Suter.
After the Flames valiantly killed off a Giordano penalty in overtime, Dillon Dube played the hero seven shooters into the skills competition.
His nifty backhand roof-job over Stalock’s glove sent his brother, Jake, and all the Flames players’ dads and mentors on the two-game trip into a frenzy.
“You dig a little deeper when they’re watching,” said Dube of the familial entourage that accompanied the players to Chicago after the game.
“We did a good job staying even keel. It’s a good win for us with the ups and downs of that game.”
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Interim coach Geoff Ward has spoken plenty about how exhausting it is for the lads to constantly chase games, forcing them to take extra chances while the coach shortens the bench.
Although the Flames were lucky to get away with it on this night, the players all know it’s not a recipe for success.
QUICK HITS
• The Calgary Flames power play had gone scoreless (0-for-11) in the team’s last five games before Lucic scored in the first period with the man advantage.
• The Wild held a pre-game ceremony celebrating Devan Dubnyk’s 500th NHL game. The 33-year-old, who played minor hockey in Calgary, was given a silver stick and trip by the team, a watch from his teammates and a series of warm ovations from a fan base that has seen Dubnyk shine the last six seasons. Dubnyk then watched from the bench as Stalock got the start.
• Giordano left the first period just before its conclusion after taking a shot on the side of his knee. He returned in the second period, showing no ill effects. He’d later snap a 25-game goal drought with his late marker on a night he was his old Norris self.
• The Flames had lost nine straight shootout games entering this season, but have rebounded to win their first four this year.
• The Flames allowed a power-play goal for the fourth straight game.
• David Rittich celebrated his 100th NHL game by winning in front of his father, David Sr., who travelled from the Czech Republic to be part of the father/son trip. After allowing the first three goals in each of his last two starts, Rittich battled hard down the stretch during a game in which he allowed two goals on his first three shots.
From that point on, he was spectacular, making several huge stops in overtime and the shootout, where he stopped six of seven shooters for his 18th win.
• Credit Derek Ryan for his role in grabbing the extra point, as he needed to score to prolong the shootout after Ryan Donato scored with the Wild’s fourth shot.
Ryan calmly skated in and placed his shot high glove side to set the table for Dube’s winner.
Unsuccessful Flames shooters included Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, Andrew Mangiapane and Elias Lindholm.
UP NEXT
The Flames play in Chicago against the Blackhawks on Tuesday, with their dads/mentors still in tow.
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