Off Topic » Looking to bounce back from an embarrassing

9-1 loss on home ice to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday Keith Yandle Jersey , the Calgary Flames will face yet another tough opponent on Saturday.The Flames (5-5-0) will host the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals (4-3-2) in an afternoon affair at the Scotiabank Saddledome.A day after giving up six goals on 21 shots to the Penguins, goalie Mike Smith met with the media on Friday to talk about the disappointing loss.Article continues below ...“I don’t think anyone can be very proud of what happened (Thursday) night,” said Smith, who has allowed at least four goals in five of his past seven starts. “It was an embarrassment as far as I’m concerned, and I think everyone realizes that, but it’s over.“To blame guys would be an easy thing to do, an easy out. The harder thing is to just go and work hard and try to climb out of this thing.”Despite his lackluster performance against the Penguins, Smith will get the chance to redeem himself as he will get the start against the Caps.“It’s pretty early still,” Smith said. “I think if you… start pouting and feel sorry for yourself, it’s going to be a really long year. You have to realize that Authentic Nick Bjugstad Jersey , put things in perspective and keep working hard and pushing forward.”Calgary coach Bill Peters refused to blame the loss to Pittsburgh on Smith or backup goalie David Rittich, who surrendered three goals on 15 shots in relief. “Once we start playing a little bit better away from the puck — not a little bit better, quite a bit better — and with a commitment to playing defense as a group and as a unit of five, then we can talk about our goaltending,” Peters said. “We’re going to go right back to Smitty (Saturday) and give our group a chance to redeem themselves for that effort (Thursday) night.”Meanwhile, the Capitals will be looking to follow up a disappointing 4-1 loss in Edmonton on Thursday with a better performance against the Flames.“We lost as well, so we don’t want to lose two in a row so we’re going to play differently as well,” said reigning Conn Smyth Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin, who expects the Flames to “come out flying” in front of their hometown fans.Nine games into the season, the Capitals still haven’t found a way to string together back-to-back wins Vincent Trocheck Jersey , which is something that defenseman Matt Niskanen and his teammates would like to change.“I think we’re still searching for (consistency),” Niskanen said. “We’ll keep a positive attitude and keep working, but I’d like to see us string a few together here with some better efforts.“The good thing about our group is (something) we’ve kind of developed over the last couple years is we rebound pretty well. We have responses. We’ll look for that in Calgary, but I think we all know we can play better.”Forward Chandler Stephenson echoed Niskanen’s sentiments about the Capitals finding the consistency that helped them win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.“We’re not panicking in here or pressing the panic button, so it’s just a matter of time,” Stephenson said. “We’ll be right where we want to b NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mike Smith and Calgary’s defenders were plenty busy in Smith’s 37th career shutout.Smith made 43 saves and Sean Monahan scored twice to lead the Flames to a 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.Elias Lindholm also scored and Johnny Gaudreau assisted on all three goals for Calgary, winners of two of three.The loss was Nashville’s first after a pair of road wins to open the season.Smith was stellar, especially in the second period when he turned aside 21 shots. Nashville had a two-man advantage for a full 2 minutes in the period.“It was huge,” Smith said. “At that time of the game Adrian Kempe Jersey , to kill 2 minutes straight 5-on-3 says a lot about the character of our group. Our penalty killers did a tremendous job in front of me blocking shots and getting important clears.”Smith’s best save came with 12:29 remaining in the second, when he gloved Ryan Hartman’s wrist shot from the left side at the conclusion of a 2-on-1 rush.“I don’t think we took away his sight very well, maybe a couple of instances,” Hartman said. “I think we could have (done) a better job of being in front of him, make it a little harder for him. … He had a great night.”Lindholm scored the game’s first goal with just under four minutes remaining in the opening period.With Calgary on a power play, Gaudreau carried the puck through the slot and found Lindholm on the right side, where he beat Pekka Rinne with a wrist shot on the glove side for his third goal of the season.“We started on time. … I liked our first period,” Flames coach Bill Peters said. “Obviously for me, the 3-vs.-5 penalty kill for the full 2 minutes, that was huge. It was 2-0 at the time. We were plus-2 on the specialty teams http://www.officialislanders.com/authentic-adidas-mathew-barzal-jersey , so credit both the power play and the penalty kill.”Rinne finished with 24 saves.“I think you have to give their goalie some credit,” Nashville coach Peter Laviolette said. “He played a really good game. I don’t think the chances were as good in the first period as they were in the second and third periods. It seemed like we fired more pucks and made it a little more difficult in the later periods.”The Flames doubled their lead at 5:22 of the second on a power-play goal from Monahan.Rinne kicked aside Matthew Tkachuk’s shot from the high slot, but the rebound landed right on the tape of Monahan’s stick on the left side, where he had an easy tap-in.Early in the third, Monahan carried the puck into the Nashville zone on the left side on a 2-on-1 with Mattias Ekholm defending. With Ekholm splayed on the ice, Monahan’s shot hit the Swedish defenseman’s left skate and slid between Rinne’s pads.“When you play with the players I play with, it makes it easy,” said Monahan, who leads the Flames with four goals. “When you get looks I get, obviously it’s pretty lucky.”NOTES: Before the game http://www.officialislanders.com/authentic-adidas-nick-leddy-jersey , Nashville raised three banners, honoring last regular season’s Central Division title, Western Conference regular-season championship and Presidents’ Trophy. … Gaudreau, Monahan and Tkachuk have all recorded at least one point in each of Calgary’s three games this season. … Gaudreau has 18 points in 13 career games against Nashville.UP NEXTFlames: At St. Louis on Thursday night.Predators: Host Winnipeg on Thursday night.