As frustrating and perplexing it was to see the Flames struggle as a team and some individual performances vs an inferior overall opponent this round, when the referees take away a tying goal with 10 minutes to go with a quick whistle on an unfrozen puck in one game, and an all time historical bad call to take a winning goal away with 5 mins to play in another game, it's tough to overcome that.
Strip away the gaudy stats, the games were much closer than the stats indicate, with the Flames playing poorly. Oilers got them out of comfort zone. Injuries on top line not allowing them to click the way they did all year? Zero confidence from our top pairing defense after Game 3. Other guys looking gassed. But still, it was right there before the league stepped in.
Game 1 in control throughout. Game 2 close game and blown 4-4 goal call the obvious turning point. Bad 12 minutes for Flames in Game 3. Fight back in Game 4, one poor defensive coverage late. Game 5, close again, and an egregiously bad call and a Flames win turns to OT loss.
As said before, the Flames could be dominated on the stats they way they are, not look much better than they did, but have the 4-4 goal count in Game 2 (then who knows) and last night's goal rightfully count and easily be up 3-2 in the series, without playing a lick better or have any better stats... and at very very least down 3-2 going into a game tomorrow where all the pressure is on the flaky Oilers and leaky Smith.
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