3 Takeaways From Flames Lackluster Loss To Blues

The Calgary Flames had a big opportunity: They were facing the St. Louis Blues in back-to-back contests, and they had a chance to create some separation between the two clubs in the wildcard race.

However, things didn’t go as planned, as the hometown Blues swept the Flames, winning both contests by a combined score of 6-2.

Thursday was a characteristic loss, with only one goal scored, and uncharacteristic as Dustin Wolf had a rough first period. Either way, the concerns about scoring in Calgary are only getting louder.

Before we look ahead, let’s discuss Calgary’s latest setback.

Rookie Kerins Fitting In

Even though everyone in the C of Red is waiting for rookie Rory Kerins to score his first NHL goal, he’s got three points (all assists) in three games, fitting in just fine on the team’s third line.

On Thursday, against St. Louis, Kerins skated in a career-high 15:45, getting extra shifts in the third period when Ryan Huska opted to sit some other forwards.

Notable: Kevin Rooney played 11 seconds for #Flames in third period. Nazem Kadri and Rory Kerins each subbed in for Rooney during the third period.

— Ryan Pike (@RyanNPike) January 17, 2025

Whether or not Kerins remains with the Flames for the rest of the season has yet to be determined; he is part of the future and will continue to get the chance. In limited time, he’s proven that he can hang in the NHL and has easily blended into the lineup.

Valuable Points Disappearing Because of the Offense

Since Jan. 1, the Flames have scored 16 goals, ranking 26th in the league. They are now just three lamplighters shy of being in the basement of the league, a spot currently occurred by the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, each with 13 goals.

The NHL trade deadline is only two months away, and Craig Conroy will have to adjust this lineup, which desperately needs someone other than Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri to score to win games.

Huska can only adjust the lineup so many times, trying unlimited combinations to get guys going, but with lengthy goal droughts for so many, it’s been tough night in and night out.

What Happened Before and After the Second Period

The final statistics may indicate that the Flames and Blues had 29 shots on goal, but the totals are skewed on both sides. St. Louis scored three goals in the first and had an advantage in shots, 15-7.

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In the second, arguably the best period for the Flames in 2025, they flipped the script and scored a goal on 17 shots, while the Blues managed to get a backbreaking goal on nine shots.

After those two wild periods, during which each team dominated, things settled down in the third, with only five shots for each side.

Even though the Flames only got one in the second, it was an excellent period that showed what they are capable of if they could only play at that level for a full 60 minutes.