Flames Extinguished by Rangers' Steadfast Defense at Madison Square Garden
The Calgary Flames, with a record of 0-1, faced off against the New York Rangers, who now stand at 1-0 after the latest contest. The final score read 2-0 in favor of the home team.
At Madison Square Garden, fans witnessed a defensive masterclass as the New York Rangers shut out the Calgary Flames. Despite an aggressive effort from the Flames that saw them launch 30 shots on goal, none found their way past the Rangers' goaltender who was credited with a win and boasted a save percentage of one hundred percent. The Flames' offense struggled to penetrate New York's defense which blocked an impressive 15 shots throughout the game.
The Calgary team's powerplay opportunities did not translate into points on the scoreboard; they had two chances but failed to capitalize as all six powerplay shots were denied. Even strength play also proved fruitless for Calgary despite taking 23 shots during these periods. Faceoff circles were another battleground where they faced challenges, winning only eighteen out of forty-four faceoffs which translates to a forty-one percent success rate.
Defensively, while they managed to block nineteen opposing shots and deliver twenty-four hits across three periods, it wasn't enough to keep their net safe from two goals during even-strength play – one being an empty-netter that sealed their fate late in the game. Their goaltender made twenty-nine saves but ultimately took credit for a loss due to allowing one goal before being pulled for an extra attacker.
On special teams aside from powerplays, shorthanded situations saw them take only one shot and make one save when down a player. Penalties were another area where discipline may have cost them; they incurred six minor penalties totaling twelve penalty minutes compared to five penalties by New York resulting in ten minutes spent shorthanded.
The upcoming schedule has Calgary set to host their next game against San Jose Sharks at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on February 16th at 7:00 PM local time (9:00 PM Eastern Time). Fans can catch this matchup live on ESPN+ or tune into NBCS-CA channel number six hundred ninety-eight if following from away territories.