Fans are getting tired of hearing about it, but it remains fact; this Calgary Flames team cannot put the puck in the net. It was an issue in 2024-25 (albeit, not to this extent) and was expected to be a problem again this season. That’s certainly been the case.
The Flames were shutout for the second-straight game on Sunday night versus the Minnesota Wild. It came roughly 48 hours after putting up a goose egg versus the Chicago Blackhawks. It was another game in which they generated plenty of shots, but made life far too easy on Spencer Knight and Jesper Wallstedt, respectively.
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After Friday’s outing, the Flames have scored 35 goals in 17 games for a league-worst 2.06 goals per game. Keep in mind one of those goals came on an empty net in a 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Either way, it’s not pretty.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, consider this. In the 2024-25 season, the lowest scoring team was the San Jose Sharks with 208 goals. The Flames weren’t much better with 220, but that’s not what we’re here to talk about today.
The Sharks, in what was a very ugly 2024-25, averaged 2.54 goals per game. Yes, you read that correctly. This season’s Flames are averaging nearly half a goal less than the Sharks. It’s nearing the point of a laughing stock, and the worst part is, nobody seems to have the answer.
Flames Lack Offensive Creativity
Those who have watched Flames games this season will tell you the team isn’t getting dominated on a nightly basis. In fact, most games they’ve played in have been competitive. Several times games have ended wit the Flames leading in the shots department. The old adage, however, of quality over quantity, describes this group to a tee.
The Flames outshot the Wild 35-18 on Sunday. On Friday versus the Blackhawks, they held a 33-28 advantage in the shot department when the final horn sounded. Those shots, however, can actually benefit opposing goaltenders, as they prefer higher-volume games. The saves they are making are rather routine, as the Flames lack any sort of creativity and fail to get in the eyes of goalies to make their lives more difficult.
“Yes and no,” Huska told reporters when asked if he liked the chances the Flames generated versus the Wild. “I think we can do a better job at getting some people to the net so the goalie can’t see the original shot.”
Ryan Huska, Calgary Flames (Sergei Belski-Imagn Images)
That sums things up quite perfectly, particularly on the power play, where the Flames went 0-3 versus the Wild. Their power play, which was already not great last season at 21 per cent, sits at a horrendous 11.7 per cent this far. That is the lowest of all 32 NHL teams.
Flames Don’t Have Enough Skill Up Front
The biggest reason for these goal scoring issues isn’t a lack of effort, but rather a lack of personnel. The Flames simply lack the offensive guns that other successful teams around the NHL seem to have plenty of. Nazem Kadri currently leads the team with just 11 points through 17 games. He’s the only Flames player to have a double-digit point total this season. Granted, Jonathan Huberdeau would likely also be in the double-digit category had he not missed five games to kick off the 2025-26 campaign, but it still shows just how rough things are for this team right now.
Though it doesn’t seem like ownership nor management is ready to accept their fate of being a bottom feeder this season, many fans are starting to accept that finishing near the bottom of the standings might be for the best. This team desperately needs a game-changing forward, and the best way to acquire one could very well come by getting a high first-round pick at the 2026 draft.
This, of course, doesn’t even touch on how horrid their defensive play has been. Dustin Wolf has been far from outstanding with a 3.26 goals against average (GAA) along with a .892 save percentage (SV%), but that has been largely due to the play in front of him rather than a reflection of himself.
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The Flames blue line has far too many holes. Their penalty kill, meanwhile, sits at only 76.1 per cent. That is 25th in the league, which won’t cut it for a team who struggles to find the back of the net as much as they do. To put it in the simplest of terms, this 2025-26 season has been a harsh reminder as to just how far this team is from being a contender.
