One bad goalie was enough for the Calgary Flames. But two?
Chad Johnson, the free-agent revelation in goal in Calgary, has gone cold at the wrong time, with the Flames in the midst of a heated playoff race.
With 51 points in as many games, Calgary is holding down the West's final playoff spot, but is only a single point above Los Angeles and Vancouver, and three points ahead of Dallas and Winnipeg. Three of those four teams also have games in hand.
Collectively, Johnson still holds a winning record on the season, coming in at 16-12-1, alongside a .913 save percentage and 2.50 GAA. But Johnson's play has faltered somewhat lately:
| Month | GP | Record | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 3 | 1-1-1 | 2.89 | .901 |
| November | 9 | 6-3-0 | 2.01 | .930 |
| December | 9 | 5-4-0 | 2.75 | .905 |
| January | 8 | 3-4-0 | 3.01 | .887 |
Earlier this season, the Flames turned to Johnson in goal after its big-ticket summer addition, netminder Brian Elliott, faltered through his early goings in Alberta. Now into January, Elliott still hasn't found the high level of play that saw him finish with an NHL-best .930 save percentage a year ago while with the St. Louis Blues.
Whether it's Johnson or Elliott who finds his game, the Flames will need support in goal if the team hopes to return to the postseason for just the second time since 2009.
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