The Calgary Flames played quite the game against the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5. But the Flames couldn’t quite hold a lead, nor could they get a key goal or key save when they needed it in the third period.
In an overtime heartbreaker, the Flames lost 5-4 to the Oilers. Their playoff run and season has come to its end.
The opening period was fairly low event to start, with the two teams playing a defensive style and combining for five shots in the first 10 minutes. The Flames only had one shot in that span.
Their second shot was a goal, though. Evan Bouchard couldn’t corral a dump-in behind the net. Mikael Backlund, forechecking, poked puck over to Blake Coleman in the corner. Coleman found Andrew Mangiapane open in front of the Oilers net. Mangiapane shelved a puck past a sprawling Mike Smith to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.
FIRST BLOOD FLAMES! #StanleyCup | #BattleofAlberta | #Flames pic.twitter.com/HoerOIA1SS
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2022
The Oilers had a few good looks later in the period, including a couple from Connor McDavid, but the defenders kept their shape in the Flames zone and Jacob Markstrom was sharp.
Shots were 6-5 Oilers (6-3 Oilers at five-on-five) and scoring chances were 8-6 Flames in the first period. (High-danger chances were 2-2.)
Midway through the second period, the Flames added to their cushion. On a shift in the Oilers zone, Blake Coleman won a puck battle but really had nowhere dangerous to pass the puck. So he opted to rim the puck around the end boards to the far point to Michael Stone. Stone’s shot was deflected by Backlund and beat Smith over his shoulder short-side to give the Flames a 2-0 lead.
Now that's quite the tip from Mikael Backlund. #StanleyCup | #BattleofAlberta | #Flames pic.twitter.com/Zytwl5oA0V
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2022
The Oilers got one back a little later, though. The Oilers won a face-off and cycled the puck to the point. With a few bodies obscuring Markstrom’s vision, Darnell Nurse’s shot found a way into the net to cut Calgary’s lead to 2-1.
darnell nurse with a bomb from the point and the edmonton oilers close calgary's lead to one! pic.twitter.com/tQDDgxSfA2
— zach laing (@zjlaing) May 27, 2022
The Flames responded to that Edmonton goal with a lengthy shift by the top line, featuring a few good scoring chances. But the Oilers collected the puck and Zach Hyman led a three-on-two rush the other way. Hyman’s initial shot hit Markstrom and trickled into the crease, where Jesse Puljujarvi poked in the loose puck to tie the game at 2-2.
Aaaaaaaand we have a tie game in Calgary! #StanleyCup | #BattleofAlberta | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/6idtsKQamO
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2022
Dillon Dube took a charging penalty in the Flames zone, sending Edmonton to the power play. 32 seconds into the man advantage, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins fired a shot through Noah Hanifin’s legs that careened off his leg and wobbled right to Hyman at the post to Markstrom’s right. He jammed the puck into the gaping net to give Edmonton a 3-2 lead.
Zach Hyman put the Oilers ahead… pic.twitter.com/SH2dwGjY55
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2022
But on the very next shift, the Flames’ top line got zone time in the Oilers zone. Oliver Kylington passed the puck to Johnny Gaudreau below the red line. Gaudreau walked out and put a low shot past Smith to tie the game at 3-3.
Then Johnny Gaudreau equalized for the boys in red. pic.twitter.com/usXPzHxRrh
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2022
On the very next shift, 12 seconds later, the Flames held the puck in at the offensive blueline and Nikita Zadorov’s initial shot from the point was blocked, but wobbled right over to Calle Jarnkrok. His shot beat Smith to give the Flames a 4-3 lead.
Calle Jarnkrok then made sure the Flames led… pic.twitter.com/Z86VTqt3MP
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2022
But on the very next shift, the Oilers got some zone time and some bodies in front of Markstrom. They cycled to the point where Evan Bouchard put a shot off the post to Markstrom’s right and into the net to tie the game up at 4-4.
But Evan Bouchard had another idea instead. pic.twitter.com/8qnQxGp7RU
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 27, 2022
Shots were 18-13 Flames (16-11 Flames at five-on-five) and scoring chances were 14-10 Flames in the second period.
The Flames nearly took the lead with 5:57 left in regulation. Backlund’s shot off the rush trickled through Smith’s padding (under his arm) and laid in the crease. Coleman drove the net and directed the puck into the net with his skate as he was battling with Cody Ceci. The goal was originally called on the ice, but it was reviewed by the situation and called back due to being ruled as a kicked-in puck.
This is a good goal, right? pic.twitter.com/wCg1WL5RdR
— The Hockey News (@TheHockeyNews) May 27, 2022
This is the angle for the Coleman goal reversal that is most convincing, in my view. But was it a distinct kicking motion? That will be debated for a long time, depending on how overtime goes. pic.twitter.com/kpHIhKYvjR
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) May 27, 2022
Official word form league:
Video review determined Calgary’s Blake Coleman kicked the puck into the Edmonton net. According to Rule 49.2, “A goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net with his skate/foot.”— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) May 27, 2022
Neither team was able to get the go-ahead goal in regulation.
Shots were 14-7 Oilers (all at five-on-five) and scoring chances 13-2 Oilers in the third period.
The Flames had a few looks in overtime, but McDavid scored 5:03 into overtime after a defensive zone turnover along the wall to give Edmonton the 5-4 victory.
The Flames played their game in this hockey game. They battled, they checked well, and they generally played a smart two-way game. They played an imperfect hockey game for the first two periods. They made enough mistakes with the lead that the Oilers were able to draw even.
For the fourth time in five games in this series, the Flames were in a situation where they would win the game if they won the third period. They couldn’t find a way to do it, and so their season is over.
We’ve got a pair: Backlund and Chris Tanev.
Backlund played like a man possessed in this game, and Tanev led the team in ice time for the first two periods and was just shy of the team lead in the third period.
It’s hard not to point to Coleman’s disallowed goal. But the Flames had several looks in overtime that the Oilers managed to stymie before McDavid’s game-winner.
Coming soon!
The two teams combined for four goals in a span of 1:11 in the second period, setting a new NHL playoff record for that outburst. (The previous record was four goals in 1:33, set by Toronto and Philadelphia in 1976.)
The Flames’ season has come to its end.
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