Flames 5, Devils 3: Markstrom's struggles continue

The Devils fell apart in the 3rd period and Markstrom's play only magnified their problems.

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The New Jersey Devils dropped last night’s game in ugly fashion to the Calgary Flames. Let’s dive into some observations.

Bend but don’t break ⛓️‍💥

That’s the general rule teams follow when defending leads. Statistically speaking, teams are going to give up more shots and scoring chances when ahead.

Maybe it can be avoided for a period or a couple of games but, over the long haul, it’s going to happen.

The key is being controlled in the chaos, so to speak, and ensuring one opportunity doesn’t turn into two, three, or four. The Devils have not done a good job of that lately.

If not for Jake Allen, and one of the best periods of hockey you’ll see from a goaltender, two points could’ve quickly turned to zero against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Devils didn’t learn from their final frame against the Jackets as they were completely overrun by the Flames in the 3rd period on Thursday night.

While they didn’t give up 20+ shots, and a dozen Grade A chances, the 3rd period we saw against the Flames might well have been worse.

For one, the Flames are not the Blue Jackets. They’re in a similar spot standings-wise but Columbus is one of the most potent offensive teams in the league. That’s hardly the case for the Flames, who ranked dead last in goals per game heading into the game. Dead. Last.

There’s also the scheduling aspect. The Blue Jackets were rested and playing on home soil. It makes sense they were able to find another gear.

Again, not the case for the Flames. They were playing their third road game in four nights – all of which against teams in playoff position or just outside.

Maybe a 4-0 scoreline in the 3rd was harsh. But that’s what can happen when spending most of the period in the defensive zone and controlling an 11.02% share of the expected goals.

Play with fire, get burned.

Markstrom’s struggles continue 📉