DETROIT -- The Calgary Flames vowed they learned their lesson after Game 1.
Apparently not.
Yesterday the Flames once again coughed up the puck, took bad penalties and were outworked by a powerful Detroit Red Wings squad, which skated off with an easy 3-1 victory and a 2-0 stranglehold in the best-of-seven quarter-final series.
"We're just being dumb out there," said Calgary left-winger Alex Tanguay.
Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, who made 48 saves, is the only reason the Flames weren't battered worse on the scoreboard.
Barely a minute into the clash, Tanguay left a puck in his feet for linemate Craig Conroy to whisk away. Instead, Wings standout Pavel Datsyuk grabbed it, ripping a high shot past Kiprusoff.
"It was a miscommunication," Tanguay said.
"I thought Connie was going to take the puck and stepped out of the way.
"By the time I tried to react, it was too late. (Datsyuk) was already by me.
"It's one of those plays you can't have in the playoffs. I wish I could take it back but it's a little late now."
The Flames then began a parade to the penalty box.
Rhett Warrener was banished for hooking and, 40 seconds later, Conroy took a minor for high sticking.
Wings defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom scored the eventual game-winner on the subsequent 5-on-3, less than four minutes into the contest.
"When you look at our game plan," said Flames head coach Jim Playfair, "it was to come out and be a lot more disciplined and compete harder for loose pucks, as opposed to taking unnecessary penalties. That certainly wasn't the case and that's a big part of the problem."
In the first period, the Flames were shorthanded five times -- including a second two-man advantage for the Wings -- and surrendered 23 shots, a Flames playoff record for most allowed in a period.
Detroit goalie Dominik Hasek faced only 15 shots, which tied a Flames playoff record for fewest in a game.
"We're driving ourselves crazy," Tanguay said of his team's penchant for penalties. "It's discipline, it's determination, it's desperation and right now we're none of those things."
Dion Phaneuf's early second-period powerplay tally made it a one-goal game but Detroit rookie Valtteri Filppula added the insurance tally in the final frame.
The series now shifts back to the Saddledome tomorrow night and Thursday.
Calgary won a league-best 30 home games this season, so Flames players are hoping a change of venue will help them snap their six-game losing skid.
They'll likely need to do it without defenceman Robyn Regehr, whose return from a knee injury lasted only two periods.
"You have to move on," said Phaneuf. "Whether you win or whether you lose a game in playoffs, you move right on.
"You don't look back at them. Bottom line is we're down 2-0, we're going back in our building and we could have a big game on Tuesday."
