Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov didn’t mince words after Monday’s 2-1 loss to the Predators in Nashville.
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“It was a pathetic performance on our part, at least in the first two periods,” said the full-back, whose comments were reported by the Sportsnet network.
“We were always late. The energy wasn’t there, nor was the effort. We didn’t shoot, we played poorly and gave them far too many chances.”
Zadorov’s frustration was palpable but his training is going well at the moment. The team finishing last in the Western Conference playoffs just completed a five-game journey in which they accumulated six points.
“Game tonight [lundi] would have turned this stay abroad from good to great, analyzed Zadorov. We couldn’t collect both points. So it’s just a good trip.”
An illegal goal
The referees also failed to reach a decision in the Flames camp after the duel against the “Preds”. With four minutes left, Tyler Toffoli thought he had tied the game. However, the goal was canceled because the former Montreal Canadiens hit the puck with his skate.
“One night it’s a goal and another it’s not,” said head coach Darryl Sutter.
“It’s not like Tyler actually kicked the puck. […] However, it is the rule, but I do not agree.
For his part, Zadorov also blamed his team’s lack of opportunism after Toffoli’s unrecognized goal.
“We have a breakaway and a couple of chances where we should have capitalized. We didn’t do it and we lost. We shouldn’t look for excuses. This is not acceptable for our group.”
The Flames return to action Wednesday night when the Colorado Avalanche visit the Scotiabank Saddledome.