Two recent games against the Maple Leafs.
Two losses.
Both by just a single goal.
In Sunday's tilt at the Scotiabank Saddledome, it was bad bounces that sunk the Flames in a 3-2 loss.
In Tuesday's 4-3 defeat, it was a bad first period that was the difference.
Outshot 10-1 and trailing 2-0, the Flames poured it on though over the final 40, outshooting the Leafs 18-5 in the middle stanza and tying up the game in the third period before Mitch Marner scored the game winner with around eight minutes left in the tilt.
"We have to start on time and the second thing, for us, everything that we do has to come from the fact that we can check," said coach Geoff Ward after. "You can't give up four goals in this league regularly and expect to win games. We have to be committed and mindful of the fact that we have to be really good away from the puck, especially against teams that are dangerous. ... As a result, we end up on the short end."
The good news right now for the team?
They've shown resiliency and poise, battling back with no lead against them right now seeming insurmountable.
Their potent powerplay (see stats above) is clippping along.
Off-season acquistion Jacob Markstrom has been stellar between the pipes.
And the Dynamic Duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan have been lighting it up, sitting tied for the team lead in points with seven apiece.
Gaudreau is coming off a two-goal performance in the Tuesday loss, while Monahan had a pair of assists. In the game prior, Gaudreau got a helper on Monahan's tally.
The two look in-sync and have been creating plenty of high-quality scoring chances to go with the pucks that have found the back of the net.
Monahan said they will learn from their recent setbacks and strive to avoid the same pratfalls on this five-game road trip.
"It's just simplicity," he explained post-game on Tuesday. "When you start off a game, we've got to do a better job of getting pucks in and getting on our forecheck. When we do that and are turning pucks over, that's when you generate momentum. We did that in the second and third, but we want to do that early in games. ... That's when you start rolling with your momentum."