Joel Farabee is far from the only Calgary Flames player who is struggling to score right now.
Honestly, the same thing could be said about everyone on the roster. No team around the NHL has lit the lamp less than the Flames, who have managed only 12 goals in seven games so far this year.
The tough part for Farabee, though, is he can’t figure out why the puck isn’t going in the net when it leaves his stick.
“It’s pretty frustrating, honestly,” Farabee said. “I think my best year (2023-24), when I had 22 goals, I honestly feel better than I did that year and I just can’t score.
“I honestly have no clue what’s going on, getting a lot of chances. It feels like a cloud over me. You want it so bad, you’re working so hard to get to the net and it’s just not going in. Just keep trying to do the same little things and do the stuff away from the puck and hopefully it goes in eventually.”
Farabee isn’t alone in his frustration. Only eight players have scored for the Flames through seven games this year and Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson and Matt Coronato are the only guys who have two goals.
The team is averaging an NHL-worst 1.57 goals per game. That’s nearly half a goal fewer every 60 minutes than the New York Rangers, who are scoring the second-least (2.00).
Their inability to put the puck in the back of the net isn’t the only reason why they’re sitting at 1-6-0, but it’s a big part of it. They’ve had more than their fair share of narrow misses and pucks that have rung off posts, but the Flames just haven’t been able to finish.
And it’s costing them.
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“We’ve got to find the back of the net,” said winger Jonathan Huberdeau. “Last night (against the Winnipeg Jets) we had some chances and that was the best game we’ve played overall. We know we’re not going to score four or five goals every night, so I think just play well defensively and it’s going to come. We’ve had some chances.
“At least they’re there. When you don’t have chances that’s when you scratch your head and try to see what’s going on, but the chances are there. We’ve just got to bury them.”
That’s easier said than done, obviously. The Flames weren’t a high-scoring team last year, either. They finished the year with the sixth-fewest goals in the NHL, with 225, but still managed to hang around in the playoff race right up until the final few days of the regular season.
So far, though, they’re on pace for significantly fewer goals and aren’t getting the elite-level goaltending and tight defensive play that helped make up for their lack of offence last season.
It’s largely the same group as last season, so the regression is frustrating and has left the Flames searching for answers.
Connor Zary #47 of the Calgary Flames skates against Brayden McNabb #3 of the Vegas Golden Knights and Reilly Smith #19 during the third period of their game at T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 18, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“We’ve got to simplify it, for sure, but at the end of the day we’ve also got to make plays,” said Connor Zary, who has scored only once so far. “You play the good teams and obviously we don’t have Jack Eichel or Mitch Marner, but we can go out there and make plays and we need to know we’re good hockey players, we’ve got skill.
“Let’s make a tape-to-tape pass, let’s have some deception, let’s make a play, let’s find some odd-man rushes. At the end of the day, yeah, you want to simplify it but you’ve also got to bear down and make some plays.”
The Flames aren’t denying that they’re frustrated by their scoring woes. There’s hope that with the chances they’re creating the puck will start going in the net sooner rather than later. The question is whether it will be too late.
They’re mired in the worst start in franchise history and it’s going to take a herculean effort to overcome their six-game losing streak and claw their way back into the playoff race.
It won’t happen if they don’t start scoring more.
“It’s not easy, obviously, when you’re not scoring and the team’s not doing well, it sucks and it’s frustrating,” Farabee said. “I think we have a good group of guys and we lean on each other and we take care of (each other). Can’t look in the past, just have to look at what the next day is going to do.”
Calgary Flames’ Daniil Miromanov skates during warm up before taking on the Vegas Golden Knights.
Miromanov clears waivers
Daniil Miromanov is joining the Calgary Wranglers.
The veteran defenceman was placed on waivers on Monday and with no team making a claim for his services, he’ll be joining the Flames’ AHL affiliate.
Miromanov was acquired by the Flames at the 2023-24 trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights and has played in 65 games for the team. He’s appeared only once this season, though.