“Expectation is the root of all heartache.”



Attributed to William Shakespeare, it’s a quote that resonates in Calgary these days when you consider how February has played out for the Flames.



Since returning from the club’s momentum-sapping, nine-day hiatus at the end of January — a four-day NHL All-Star break lumped together with the five-day CBA-mandated bye week — the Flames have not been playing at the same high level as it had been prior to the break.



Even when you include wins Saturday and Monday over Pittsburgh and Arizona, we’re talking about just three wins in eight games. There was a season-long four-game winless drought in there. Valuable points were left on the table against non-playoff teams Vancouver and Florida.



Not living up to expectations this month has, indeed, caused some heartache for a restless C of Red fan base that for a couple weeks was growing increasingly agitated every...