3 Takeaways From Flames 3-0 Shutout Loss To Golden Knights

The Calgary Flames returned from their Christmas break and split their two-game road trip. They defeated the San Jose Sharks on Saturday before being shut out in Sin City by the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0, on Sunday.

Despite their numerous glorious scoring opportunities, nothing was getting by Ilya Samsonov on the night, as he recorded his first shutout in a Golden Knights sweater.

Meanwhile, Flames netminder Dan Vladar stood on his head, giving the visitors every opportunity to stay in the game. Unfortunately, his efforts went unrewarded as Calgary failed to score a goal for the second time this season, both games against Vegas.

Golden Knights Shutout Streak Against Flames Extended

The last time Calgary scored a goal against Vegas came off the stick of Blake Coleman at 17:02 of the third period in a 4-1 win at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Mar. 14, 2024.

In two meetings this season, the Flames have yet to beat Adin Hill or Samsonov and are now goalless against their Pacific Division rivals for 122:58.

Even though they were shut out for the second time in as many games against Vegas, this wasn’t a blowout. People who only read box scores would be shocked to learn that Calgary was in the game until a late powerplay goal put the game a little further out of reach at 14:41 of the third period.

Before that, it was anyone’s game to win or lose.

Flames Get Burnt on Special Teams

The Flames took some ill-advised penalties against the Golden Knights, and despite killing off their first three infractions, they continued to feed Vegas power play opportunities, ultimately costing them the game.

Meanwhile, Calgary was presented with a golden opportunity in the final four minutes of the first period. While Tanner Laczynski was off on a tripping call, Brett Howden received a four-minute double minor for high-sticking Jonathan Huberdeau.

Related: Former Flames Player Top Scorer In KHL

Although the Flames had their chances, the 5-on-3 evaporated into a standard 5-on-4 that carried into the intermission and the second.

However, the score remained 0-0, and Calgary’s best chance of jumping out to a 1-0 lead never happened. By 15:59 of the middle frame, they spent the remainder of the night chasing the game.

Vladar Boosted His Trade Profile or Extension Portfolio

Vladar finished the evening with 34 saves and a .944 SV%, his second-best performance of the season outside of his two shutouts. As an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, his stellar play in Vegas showed he can hold his own when given the opportunity against NHL heavyweights.

Whether he stays with the Flames or moves depends on how much the organization plans to rely on Dustin Wolf and their NHL plans for goalies in the minors.

Ultimately, everyone who tuned in on Sunday could see the team doing everything possible to score and get Vladar the win. Unfortunately for him, he was backstopping the league’s 26th-ranked offense, and a goalie can only do so much when his teammates fail to score at the other end.