Blowout losses have become commonplace for the Calgary Flames. But there are even more alarming underlying statistics.
Few teams have gotten off to a rougher start than the Flames. On Thursday, that trend continued when the Colorado Avalanche skated into Alberta and crushed the Flames 7-3. Calgary is now 0-4-0, and opponents have outscored them 23-6. They are also the only team that hasn’t recorded a point this season.
The biggest concern is that they already have a minus-17 goal differential and have allowed 5.75 goals per game. Meanwhile, the Flames have averaged 1.5 goals per contest.
The irony? Calgary, despite losing in a blowout, doubled its goal total in a single night. That’s not entirely unheard of for teams so early in the season. But it’s more than a bleak number when they were also outscored 16-3 over their first three games.
This suggests that there is no single way to fix the Flames. Looking at the underlying numbers, Calgary’s best bet may be to start shedding contracts.
Calgary Flames Own Some Interesting Team Statistics
On paper, Calgary’s numbers ironically don’t look universally awful. At 5-on-5, they boast a Corsi For Percentage of 55.6 with 245 shots, blocks, and misses. The latter is light-years above the league average of 176.
They have a 28.57 power play percentage, well above the 20.81 league average. That said, Calgary has also been on the man advantage just seven times while the NHL average sits at 14. Their penalty kill is a stellar 92.31 and over 13 percentage points above the average of 79.19. The Flames’ PK unit has taken the ice 13 times, so it’s not like they haven’t been out there often.
The Flames also own percentages of 50.7 and 59.3 in scoring and high-danger chances for at 5-on-5. When looking at the above numbers, one would think this is a team good at creating chances and has been one of the NHL’s best on special teams. But this is why sparkling statistics in key areas don’t always transfer to wins or production.
Harsh Reality For The Flames
There is a difference between generating chances — even good chances — and converting them. Calgary’s 48 high-danger chances for sits 17 above the NHL average of 31. But they’re converting just 4.0 percent of them.
The same goes for their overall 5-on-5 play, with a 4.0 shooting percentage. In all situations, their shooting percentage is 5.4 out of 111 shots on goal.
Calgary also isn’t always giving itself the best chances to score. At 5-on-5, their expected goals for (xGF) for the season are a paltry 7.0, which is 1.4 below the NHL average. The Flames have scored four goals at 5-on-5, three less than their already-poor xGF.
They have also struggled with defensive breakdowns at 5-on-5, with 12.3 expected goals allowed. While their 33 high-danger chances allowed is just two more than the NHL average of 31, they have allowed 13.2 percent of them into the net. That’s over five percent more than the 8.0 average.
The Flames have shown an unusual level of poor play throughout the first four games of 2026-27. When you look at their numbers, they don’t all look bad. But they indicate that Calgary isn’t making the most of its chances when they generate them. That has led to fewer goals scored, while they have routinely broken down defensively.
And it’s why blowout losses have become commonplace early on.
Calgary Flames’ Horrific Start Hides An Even Uglier Problem