When things aren't going your way, it seems like every bounce ends up in the back of your net.
The Flames, unfortunately, fell victim to that last night, dropping a hard-fought 3-2 decision.
Milan Lucic and Matthew Tkachuk had goals for the homeside, and the Flames rallied with a furious, final-minute push, but it wasn't enough.
Goals by Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor and Paul Stastny, along with 25 saves from Connor Hellebuyck, vaulted the Winnipeg Jets to victory.
Jacob Markstrom made his 26 saves for the locals, who fell to 15-17-3 with their fourth-straight setback.
"(To) lose another one-goal game, it sucks," offered Lucic, who was tagged with a double-minor late in the third period that Winnipeg capitalized on. "Running out of time, running out of games. We have to start getting in the win column if we're to have any kind of chance here."
The Flames remain four points back of a playoff spot, with the idle Montreal Canadiens holding four games in hand.
"Just got to take it one game at a time," Lucic said. "Focus on winning one game.
"We're back at it (tonight) at home against the same team here. Just focus on winning that one game and try to get on a roll. All year long we haven't been able to get on a roll and there's no better time than now to get on one.
"It starts with the first one, so all our focus goes into (tonight).
Flames Head Coach Darryl Sutter was especially candid at the post-game podium, saying the start proved costly and that his players didn't "wake up" until they were down a goal.
We all know the importance of scoring first. But for the Flames, it's especially vital.
They're 11-3-2 when getting the game's opening tuck, but only 4-14-1 when the opponent strikes first.
That's something the team wants to correct here in the final 21 games.
"The urgency is there when we're down a goal, but you have to have the strength and the mental toughness to always play through that," Sutter said. "You're not always going to have a lead in this league.
"You've got to play with pace. The system is - all it is, is faster than the one they were playing and that's difficult to grasp. It's got nothing to do with anything else. The scoring chances we had (last night) were on the forecheck. There was very little off the rush, which indicates the puck's not moving fast enough or some of our players weren't."
