Going down in Flames: Phoenix extends Calgary’s woes

Ryan Kennedy When the Calgary Flames retooled for this season, the addition of defenseman Jay Bouwmeester was no doubt a marquee move, but so was the hiring of Brent Sutter to coach the team.

Anyone who believes bringing up Mikael Backlund is just the spark the Calgary Flames need to snap their offence out of its funk is deluding themselves.

In the midst of their longest losing streak in more than seven years, the Calgary Flames have slipped to the edge of the playoff picture, and were booed off their own ice after their latest defeat.

After Colin Fraser’s bad break early in the second period led to a Calgary goal, the Blackhawks forward quickly made up for it. Fraser knocked a clearing pass out of the air, leading to Ben Eager’s go-ahead goal at 5:52 of the third period in the Blackhawks’ 3-1 victory Thursday night.

The Western Conference standings show the Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames on pace for another first-round playoff meeting. That prospect seems like nothing but a mismatch right now. While the surging Blackhawks try for a seventh straight regular-season win in Calgary on Thursday night, the Flames will be looking to snap a five-game skid and bounce back from a particularly embarrassing …

Bobby Ryan scored the go-ahead goal with 7:17 left and the Anaheim Ducks overcame Calgary’s three breakaway goals for a 5-4 victory Sunday night, extending their home winning streak against the Flames to 11 games.

Patric Hornqvist scored with 6:22 left, and Dan Ellis made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season in the Nashville Predators’ 1-0 victory over the Calgary Flames on Friday night.

The Nashville Predators seem to be winning all the close games on the road. The Calgary Flames, meanwhile, are seeing tight contests at home go the other way. The Predators look for their first five-game road win streak in three seasons Friday night when they try to hand the Flames a fourth straight home loss.

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) - Chris Stewart scored once in regulation and got the decisive goal in the shootout, Craig Anderson made 44 saves, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 Monday night. With the shootout tied 1-1, Stewart put the Avalanche ahead on a nifty deke, tucking the puck through the legs of Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff.