Talk about an inverse of the season opener.
Unlike in their 4-3 overtime loss in Winnipeg last Thursday, where the Flames looked great in the first period before falling apart in the last 40 minutes, the Flames improved as the game progressed on Monday evening against the Canucks.
A tripping penalty from Milan Lucic just 2:32 into the game did little to help any of the Flames’ skaters establish a rhythm. Only Jacob Markstrom, fresh off a perfect performance over his old Canucks friends on Saturday, looked sharp early. Markstrom notably stymied former teammate Adam Gaudette on three separate breakaway attempts in the first.