The Flames have opened January with three straight losses. In Wednesday’s 4-1 defeat to the Montreal Canadiens, they looked like a team that is tumbling back toward last place. The story of the game was written in a five-minute span in the middle period, with the host Habs scoring three times in quick succession.

The Boston Bruins did not mince words about falling short of a winning road trip following their 7-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday.

The struggling Flames proved to be a good opponent for a Bruins team looking to gather momentum and gain ground in the standings with the Olympic break less than a month away. Boston jumped ahead early and rolled past Calgary,

Despite their recent surge, the Flames are still a shade below .500 at 18-19-4. Just like they’re a couple of good weeks out of a wildcard spot, a shaky stretch could put them back in dead last. The big fear, and this is something all their supporters can agree on, is that they will wind up stuck in the mushy, murky, mediocre middle.

Sean Kuraly had a goal and an assist as the Bruins started a five-game homestand with a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night.

The last time the Bruins were seen on Causeway Street, they were heading into the Christmas humbled after getting walloped in back-to-back games by Ottawa and Montreal. Those two losses were part of a disappointing 1-3-1 homestand that put a dent in their previous home-ice dominance and put them in arrears in their chase for a playoff spot.