After starting the season 5–0–1 and giving fans just a little bit of hope that they have been begging for, the Calgary Flames have decided to strip all of that away and have now lost four straight games. Okay, that may have been a little dramatic, but the point still stands. Despite the early success, we may finally be seeing regression hit the Flames hard, and this may be a more accurate sign of what to expect from this Flames team.
Now for fans, it might be tough to watch the Flames lose on a more consistent basis. I mean who actually has fun watching their favourite team lose night in, night out? So, to protect us from this pain and misery, I think we should make a game out of it.
I present to you, Calgary Flames Bingo for the 2024–25 season. Each section is a square that you can put on your own Bingo sheet, and each time you watch a Flames game, if any of the events we go over below happen, you are one step closer to getting Bingo. Your prize? Making a Flames loss just a little less heartbreaking. Now let’s dive into what this Bingo sheet will be made up of.
Jonathan Huberdeau passes up a wide-open shot
We are starting off with the most obvious event there is. Huberdeau is a pass-first player, there’s no doubt about that. I mean he was one of the NHLs best playmakers years ago. Big emphasis on the “years ago.” But, there are times when Huberdeau is just too much of a pass-first player. He could have a wide-open net in front of him, but he sometimes still chooses to pass to a player who will likely either shoot straight at the goalie’s pads, not be ready for the pass and result in a turnover, or just whiff on the shot.
Huberdeau started off this season really hot, and although he has cooled down over the past couple of games, I really hope he is able to get it going again. It would be a great boost for his confidence, and an even greater boost for my mental health. Shoot the puck. Please, Jonathan, I am begging you.
Rasmus Andersson stares someone down
If you are attending a Flames game and you are not wearing a Flames jersey, you are at risk of being stared down by Rasmus Andersson and making it on national television. Andersson has scored four goals so far this season, and with every goal, he has given a death stare to an opposing fan every single time. I have a count right now comparing Andersson stare-downs to Huberdeau points scored, and it is honestly a lot closer than you may think. Andersson has stared down four fans, while Huberdeau has scored seven points.
Now I’m not saying Andersson is going to end the season with more stare-downs than Huberdeau will score points, but there is clearly a trend here, and if you have this on your bingo sheet, there is a high chance you will be covering this square.
The Flames get goalied by a backup
A tale as old as time. A goalie you have never heard of in your life comes into the Saddeldome and suddenly becomes the second coming of Patrick Roy as soon as he steps onto the ice. Luckily, this won’t be as painful as years prior when the Flames were supposed to be good, but it will likely be just as annoying. We all remember the days when Sutter was the Flames coach and they would put up 40+ shots and struggle to even get two goals. This unfortunately happens more often than it should, and it’s something every Flames fan is far too familiar with.
Flames give up two or more goals in the span of two minutes
Another classic Flames experience. This happened during the first game of the season for the Flames, where the Canucks scored the opening three goals in 12 minutes, with two of them being scored in the span of 28 seconds. The best and most painful part of these moments is when you see it through the Flames twitter profile. I mean look at the time stamps from the 3 tweets. You just can’t make this up.
The Flames managed to let this happen to them again in the game against the Golden Knights, where Kolesar and Roy scored just 15 seconds apart. Now the Flames were already down 3–0 in this game, and they were getting dominated, so it’s not like this was a deciding factor in the game. However, it’s definitely something that the Flames are experienced with, and as a result, belongs on the bingo board. This is the Find-a-Way Flames, except it’s the Flames finding a way to lose a game as fast as possible.
Flames give up a goal within two minutes of the game starting
Another masterclass skill from the Flames. You know you may be in for a long night when right after the Flames Twitter account tweets out “IT’S GAME TIME!!!” it’s followed by “1–0 them :(” mere minutes after. This has already happened twice this season. Once against the Oilers where Jeff Skinner scored 1:16 into the first period, and once against the Jets where Ehlers scored 1:51 into the first period.
This was a very common event when Jacob Markstrom was on the Flames. For some weird reason, it seemed like Markstrom just wasn’t able to save the first shot on goal. It was like there was some spell placed on the puck at times. Hopefully this curse doesn’t follow the Flames as the season goes on. But if it does, at least it will make Flames Bingo a little more fun.
10 minutes have passed and you realize that you completely forgot that Anthony Mantha is a Flame
I’m sorry if this is a little rude but I don’t really think this is an inaccurate statement. After a great first couple of games from Mantha—and outside of last night’s game against Utah—I genuinely don’t remember even seeing him on the ice over the last seven or so games. I know he did play, but honestly, the only reason why I know he played, is because nhl.com has his time on ice listed. So believe it or not, there is actual proof that he was playing and did in fact skate on the ice.
I really hope he turns this around because it’s been a really rough showing so far for Mantha. He did score last night against Utah, so hopefully this could be a sign of things to come. However, there was all this talk about his goal of reaching 300 shots on goal this year and using that benchmark as a sign of the opportunities that he is going to get on this Flames team.
Yet, as of writing this post, Mantha is on pace for 74 shots on goal this season. To put that into perspective, Connor Zary shot the puck 16 more times than that last year… in 19 fewer games. To say that Mantha has been unnoticeable in most games would honestly be an understatement.
Nazem Kadri one man show
Don’t get me wrong I love Nazem Kadri. He is one of my favourite Flames. But, if there is something Kadri loves to do, it’s to try and skate up the ice with the puck and instead of passing, he attempts to deke out every single player and their pet goldfish. Now when this works, it results in some incredible highlights that get you out of your seat.
The problem though, is this does not happen often enough to make it worth it. What usually happens is it results in a turnover and suddenly there is an odd-man rush going the other way. It seems like every single game there is at least one occurrence of this happening, so naturally, it has to make the bingo list.
Dustin Wolf commits highway robbery
What a treat Dustin Wolf is to watch. One of the bright spots of this team has been the play of this rookie goalie. With his current play, he has to be one of the leaders for the Calder Trophy, and this early in his career, he is already showing that he can completely take over games and keep the Flames competitive, even when they don’t deserve to be. Wolf is giving fans something to cheer for, and if this is just the start, Flames fans will be very excited about what the future has in store.
Let’s make this season fun
Some may say “Aman, if all this team does is make you sad constantly and lose all the time, wouldn’t it be smarter to just protect your peace and not watch the games?” Although they may have a very valid point, I think the smarter decision and true showcase of dedication to the team is to embrace the chaos and play some Bingo.
Despite some of the things that I may say about the players, I love the team and the players, and I can’t not watch the games, and I know many fans are in the same boat. The season is just getting started, so I am sure there are going to be even more squares to put onto the Bingo sheet as games go on, but what squares am I missing right now? Let me know!
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