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The Calgary Flames lost 3-1 to the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday night, being swept in their regular season series 3-0 with relative ease.

Here are my three takeaways from the game:

1)      Outclassed by Utah throughout the game AND season

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According to MoneyPuck, Calgary’s offense registered 2.02 expected goals, whereas Utah had 4.65 expected goals.

Let’s not have it confused, this team is talented and has a bunch of jewels in it. But the difference is evident when comparing the expected goals/actual goals between both Western Conference teams from all three games of the season.

Utah made Calgary’s offensive firepower look very diminutive.  The Flames’ best expected goals value (2.02) is nowhere NEAR Utah’s worst (3.64). That shows the Flames, simply put, have poor quality of shots.

Some changes will definitely be needed if the Flames hope to keep their playoff dreams alive.

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2)      Still no luck on the power play

Continuing off point one, the Flames offense had two opportunities on the man-advantage. On the other hand, the Utah Hockey Club went on the PP once. Both teams could not come away with a goal, which is not uncommon.

Here’s the kicker:

Calgary registered an expected goal value of 0.11 in their two power plays, LESS than the 0.21 Utah registered in their lone power play.

It’s one thing to not have quality shots at even strength, but when they don’t come by at man-advantage, what does that say about that team’s offense?

3)      Dustin Wolf as great as always

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It’s easy to see why Wolf is a bright spot on this roster. With shots raining down on him and a Goals Saved Above Expected value of 1.11, he held the fort as much as he can. He had a save percentage of 92.60 and conceded two goals, which is better than his season average of 90.9 and GAA of 2.66 respectively. He’s going places for sure.

The Calgary Flames will come back home to take on the Anaheim Ducks at 7:30 MDT/9:30 EDT on Thursday.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Kevin Stenlund and Barrett Hayton scored for the Utah Hockey Club in a 3-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night.

Clayton Keller had an empty-netter and Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots to help Utah get its second straight win.

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Rasmus Andersson scored for Calgary and Dustin Wolf finished with 25 saves. The Flames lost for the third time in four games (1-2-1).

Stenlund gave Utah a 1-0 lead with 2:14 left in the first period with a one-timer from the inside edge of the right circle off a pass from Alexander Kerfoot for his 12th of the season.

Hayton doubled the lead at 2:25 of the second on a give-and-go with Sean Durzi, finishing up with a backhander in close from the left side for his 18th.

Andersson got the Flames on the scoreboard with 7 minutes left in the middle period with his 11th.

Keller sealed it with an empty-net goal with 17.3 seconds remaining.

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Takeaways

Flames: Calgary dropped to 5-2-1 in its last eight games and fell to six points out of the second wild card in Western Conference.

Utah: Utah improved to 2-2-1 in its last five games and 6-4-3 in the last 13 to move to eight points out of a playoff spot with seven games remaining.

Key moment

In the final seconds of a Calgary power play in the third period, Vejmelka turned aside Joel Farabee at the side of the net to keep Utah ahead with seven minutes left.

Key stat

Andersson’s goal was his 11th of the season, matching his career high from 2022-23, and his 229th career point to pass Dion Phaneuf for eighth on Calgary’s franchise’s scoring list among defensemen.

Up next

Flames host Anaheim on Thursday, and Utah hosts Los Angeles.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Utah has banned the display of overtly political flags at government buildings and public schools, prompting concerns from both sides of the aisle. 

House Bill 77 became law in Utah Thursday without the signature of Republican Gov. Spencer Cox. The measure passed the Republican-controlled Utah House of Representatives in a 49-20 vote on Feb. 21, while the Republican-controlled Utah Senate passed its bill in a 21-8 vote on March 6.

The votes in both chambers fell along party lines, with all support coming from Republicans and most opposition coming from Democrats. Two Republicans joined Democrats to oppose the legislation in the Senate while seven House Republicans did the same. 

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Scheduled to take effect on May 7, House Bill 77 prohibits a “government entity, or an employee of a school district or school within the public education system acting within the employee’s official duties” from displaying “a flag in or on the grounds of government property.”

The measure contains a long list of exceptions to this requirement, including the United States flag, the Utah state flag, and flags representing other countries, states, municipalities, Native American tribes, colleges or universities.

The legislation tasks the state auditor with investigating alleged violations of the law and gives violators a 30-day window to comply with the measure. Failure to comply with the measure will subject violators to fines of $500 per day. 

Cox expressed support for the bill’s intention while outlining the reservations that prevented him from signing it in a letter to the leaders of the state legislature published Thursday.

“I deeply believe that our classrooms need to be a place where everyone feels welcome — free from the politics that are fracturing our country. Parents are rightly upset when they bring their kids to publicly funded schools and see culture-war symbols in a place that should be apolitical,” he wrote. 

“In an attempt to make some kids feel more welcome, other kids feel less welcome. I appreciate that the bill is neutral on the types of flags in question (and I find it strange that no headline reads ‘MAGA flags banned from classrooms’),” he added. “I agree with the underlying intent of those legislators who supported this bill in an attempt to bring political neutrality to the classroom. Unfortunately, this bill does not do that.”

However, Cox believes that requiring the removal of “flags only” does little to prevent other political displays like posters, signs, drawings and furniture from entering the classroom. 

“Furthermore, the bill is overly prescriptive on flags themselves,” Cox stressed. “To those legislators who supported this bill, I’m sure it will not fix what you are trying to fix.”

In a letter following Utah Senate’s approval of House Bill 77, the ACLU of Utah urged Cox to veto and condemned the legislation as an attempt to ban LGBT pride flags.

“HB77 would ban the display of Pride flags in public schools and on public property, restricting free expression and sending a clear message that some students and community members are not welcome or protected,” the ACLU letter reads. “The government should not be in the business of banning symbols that help people feel seen and welcomed.” 

“Beyond stoking fear among LGBTQ+ Utahns, this bill sets a dangerous precedent that threatens free speech for everyone,” the letter warned. “The bill sponsor’s comments at the Capitol and public events make the intent clear: this isn’t about flags but about othering and erasing LGBTQ+ people from public life.”

The ACLU of Utah argues that such a law could open the door for “broader restrictions on speech, education, or expression for even more Utahns.”

Cox responded to some of these arguments in his letter to lawmakers.

“The idea that kids can only feel welcome in a school if a teacher puts up a rainbow flag is just wrong,” he wrote. “Let’s do everything possible to make our classrooms one of the last remaining politically neutral places in our state.”

Utah’s House Bill 77 comes amid concerns about promoting progressive political ideologies in public school classrooms.

In 2023, the Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania voted to ban public school employees from discussing their political views in addition to displaying “any flag, banner, poster, sign, sticker, pin, button, insignia, paraphernalia, photograph, or other similar material that advocates concerning any partisan, political, or social issue.”

The implementation of Utah’s House Bill 77 also occurs in the context of backlash to the promotion of progressive political ideology in American culture as a whole. Outrage over LGBT advocacy as well as diversity, equity and inclusion has prompted several major companies in the U.S. to scale back such activism over the past year.

Before electronics took over, before the Y2K hysteria and worries about computers making things more difficult in everyday life, there were certain staples of youth.

Such as participating in games that required social skills mixed in with ingenuity, sprinkled with a dose of luck. Ones like musical chairs, blaring tunes while hopefuls plotted their landing spot, carefully eyeing the place they wanted to plop down once dust settles and things are quiet.

That analogy is what the Charlotte Hornets are currently facing as they speed toward another fruitless season, extending the NBA’s longest playoff drought to nine years, while keeping an eye on the prize. And it’s why Monday night’s outing against the Western Conference’s cellar-dwellar may wind up being one of the season’s biggest games.

Not because the Hornets edged the Utah Jazz 110-106 at Spectrum Center, but because Charlotte’s latest victory was more about May 12 and the reverberations will likely be felt inside a conference room at the McCormick Place Convention Center off the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago.

That’s where the NBA Draft Lottery will be held, the event a longtime and well-respected front office executive referred to years ago as a “convention of losers.” The winner of this batch featuring those with failed 2024-25 regular seasons gets a rather notable prize, though, even if he’s not quite at the phenom level of Victor Wembanyama.

But Duke’s Cooper Flagg isn’t too shabby and he’s been the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming June draft for months, a consensus that only grows with each stellar performance, particularly in the NCAA Tournament while helping guide the Blue Devils to the Final Four in San Antonio this weekend.

“I think he has a chance to be great,” fellow Duke product Mark Williams said after posting 18 points and 13 rebounds against the Jazz. “Obviously, for Duke he does a little bit of everything for them. Defensively, does a great job, offensively is the engine. Finding his teammates, attacking the basket, taking a lot of the right shots, rebounding — you name it.

“So, I think for them he’s definitely one of the keys, and as far as his future I think the sky’s the limit for him.”

Flagg’s potential has some teams quietly and carefully maneuvering in a way that won’t draw the suspicion or ire of the NBA’s head honchos in the glass offices in New York. Tanking is frowned upon and it’s why the NBA altered the odds in 2020, attempting to rid the league of any sort of repeat of dark times like “The Process” in Philadelphia, when the 76ers kept purposefully making losing moves to gain better position in the draft.

Now, the three teams that finish with the worst record are each handed 14% odds of securing the top selection in the yearly draft, all so one team doesn’t unfairly try to tip the scales in its favor. That context is a necessity to explain why the Hornets faced an opening-game lineup Monday night featuring Isaiah Collier, Brice Sensabaugh, KJ Martin, Johnny Juzang and Duke product Kyle Filipowski, evoking a line from the movie “Major League” featuring the hilarious Bob Uecker.

“Who are these guys?”

Utah tossed its 46th different starting five of the season out against the Hornets, undoubtedly looking to keep from gaining any ground in the race for the bottom three. Utah is tied with Washington for the worst record overall, posting only 16 victories, and the Jazz are now three games below the Hornets in the loss column with six games remaining.

Charlotte’s defeat in New Orleans on Sunday night could turn out to be ridiculously large in the grand scheme of things because only one game separates them with the Pelicans in the standings, and the team that finishes with the fourth-worst record has a 12.5% of grabbing the No. 1 pick.

So, over these final seven matchups, beginning with Wednesday’s tilt in Indiana, the Hornets stand to lose in the odds game if they, uh, win too much. The thing they’ll have going for them is their schedule. All but one of their final games — with the exception of next Wednesday in Toronto — are against teams fighting for postseason berths or potential seeding.

Indiana, Sacramento, Chicago and Memphis won’t be rolling over and the lone wildcard is Boston given the Hornets finish the season with a pair of matchups against the Celtics and who knows how coach Joe Mazzulla will play things.

New Orleans threw up the proverbial white flag while the Hornets were squaring off versus the Jazz, shutting down South Carolina native Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum for the rest of the season. Subtle moves like that — akin to Hornets’ star LaMelo Ball ending his season early to have surgery on his right wrist and right ankle — are going to be the norm over the coming days.

The race to capture the Flagg is heating up and ready to explode. And as another disappointing season nears its conclusion, one featuring 38 different starting lineups for Charlotte, the Hornets are tiptoeing on a balance beam, teetering on the brink of putting themselves in the best position possible to get a game-changer.

But in true fashion, nothing is ever easy for the Hornets, and properly stumbling down the stretch will probably be a bit too much to ask. The other three teams hovering around them in the overall standings are certainly going to do their part to purposefully struggle.

Will the Hornets do the same and follow suit? Whether they can secure a versatile cog like Flagg and possibly put an end to their playoff-berth malaise in 2025-26 could depend on it.

Roderick Boone joined the Observer in September 2021 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and NBA. In his more than two decades of writing about the world of sports, he’s chronicled everything from high school rodeo to a major league baseball no-hitter to the Super Bowl to the Finals. The Long Island native has deep North Carolina roots and enjoys watching “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” endlessly.
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When the Utah Hockey Club and Calgary Flames meet up at Delta Center on Tuesday, April 1 at 9 p.m. ET, Clayton Keller and Jonathan Huberdeau will be two of the top players to keep an eye on.

ESPN+ is the spot to tune in to see the Utah Hockey Club and the Flames square off.

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Utah Hockey Club vs. Flames Stat Rankings

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Utah Hockey Club’s Top Scorers

• Dylan Guenther: 26 goals and 25 assists
• Keller: 24 goals and 55 assists
• Logan Cooley: 22 goals and 34 assists
• Karel Vejmelka: 22-20-7 record, .903 save percentage, 127 goals allowed

Flames’ Top Scorers

• Nazem Kadri: 29 goals and 29 assists
• Huberdeau: 27 goals and 31 assists
• Matthew Coronato: 20 goals and 19 assists
• Dustin Wolf: 24-15-6 record, .909 save percentage, 120 goals conceded

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Upcoming Utah Hockey Club Games

• April 1 vs. Flames: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (Watch on Fubo)
• April 3 vs. Kings: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (Watch on Fubo)
• April 5 vs. Jets: 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (Watch on Fubo)
• April 8 vs. Kraken: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 10 vs. Predators: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 12 at Stars: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 14 at Predators: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 15 at Blues: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+

Upcoming Flames Games

• April 1 at Utah Hockey Club: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (Watch on Fubo)
• April 3 vs. Ducks: 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (Watch on Fubo)
• April 5 vs. Golden Knights: 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ (Watch on Fubo)
• April 7 at Sharks: 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 9 at Ducks: 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 11 vs. Wild: 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 13 vs. Sharks: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 15 vs. Golden Knights: 9 p.m. ET on ESPN+
• April 17 at Kings: 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN (Watch on Fubo)

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