@ Calgary

Another trip to Calgary and another opportunity to remember why we bother watching this sport. The first period was a comedy of errors featuring Matvei Gridin and Mikael Backlund putting the home team up by two before most of us had even settled into our seats. Zack MacEwen tried to spark some life with a fight against Jake Middleton but the only thing that really got fired up was the penalty box. Easton Cowan decided to end the frame by picking up four minutes for roughing which is a bold strategy for a team already trailing.

Gridin added a power play goal just seconds into the second period to make things feel truly hopeless. Sergei Bobrovsky did his best to keep the score respectable with 30 saves and even found time to take a tripping penalty because why not. Cowan eventually managed to tip one in and William Nylander brought us within one in the third period. For a brief moment it felt like a comeback was possible despite the power play unit going zero for five. Jack Roslovic and Auston Matthews chipped in assists but the offense mostly looked like it was stuck in a snowbank.

Any hope of a heroic finish evaporated when Matthews took two penalties in the final frame including a rare face off violation. Calgary outshot us in every single period which usually is not a winning formula. Joel Farabee and Martin Pospisil salted the wound with empty net goals to make the final score look even worse than the actual play. It was a classic performance that reminds every fan that no matter how many goals Nylander scores the empty net is always the most dangerous player on the ice.