Calgary Flames goalie Danny Taylor tries to cover up the puck with Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan lurking during play in Glendale, Ariz. (Ralph D. Freso/Reuters)
If a Stanley Cup celebration is the hockey equivalent of reaching the top of the mountain, this is more like getting to base camp.
A walk in the park?
Hardly. Not in the rugged wilderness that is the NHL’s Western Conference.
But an impossible climb?
Shouldn’t be that either.
Before the Calgary Flames can even squint to see the summit, they need to get to the starting point first.
It’ll take some steady forward progress.
Two steps forward without a step back.
The Flames have reached the .500 mark three times so far this season but failed in every try to move above that magic mark. That includes Monday’s 4-0 road loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, arguably their most lacklustre outing since the lockout ended.
