You always want to go out with a bang.
A loss in Ottawa and the Flames head into the all star break with a huge pall hanging over the club as they’d be licking their wounds from a five game losing streak, their season slipping away, the city and the National media leaving them for dead.
Instead they go in on a high as the club blows a 2-0 third period lead, but prevail in overtime to climb back into a playoff spot (points anyway) as they head out on their break.
So while Johnny Gaudreau goes to Los Angeles and the rest of the team go to parts unknown maybe, just maybe they can have a good time. Count on it.
The Flow
So will the chastised and ridiculed club come out flying or roll over after the first sign of trouble? Luckily we didn’t find out early as the Flames had the play in Ottawa zone for much of the first few shifts including a great board battle shift by the Sam Bennet / Troy Brouwer / Kris Versteeg line. The Senators have the period’s best chance though when Erik Karlsson finds Kyle Turris who gets past TJ Brodie and in all alone on Brian Elliott, who turns him away with a quick right pad save. The Senators get a powerplay when the Flames get tabbed for too many men on the ice, but the Flames kill it off with only one shot on goal per team. The Flames get another penalty, this time a double minor to Micheal Frolik with 3.45 to play in the period, literally setting up that “here we go again late in the period” feeling that the club has seen in Toronto and Montreal. But surprise, the team kills off the first 3 minutes and change of the penalty and escape a first period without getting scored on. You have to start somewhere.
The Flames do a good job of killing off the rest of the Senators four minute powerplay opportunity, and then a get a powerplay of their own which fizzles completely. It was a good opportunity to end that 9 game giving up the first goal streak, but too many unforced errors and errant passes quelled the 2 minutes up a man. Halfway through the period recently acquired Tommy Wingles blows a tire in the neutral zone creating a turnover that sends Matt Stajan and Micheal Ferland in on a two on two. Stajan drops to Ferland who shoots, Condon swats away the loose puck but right to Ferland who hammers home his rebound; the first goal streak is over! The Flames double their lead when Johnny Gaudreau drops the puck to Dougie Hamilton who takes it to the house and gets a good shot on goal. Monahan picks up the rebound and puts hit home with a slick stick move through his legs. Flames lead the Senators 2-0 after 40 minutes.
The Flames hoping to calm things down in the third and cruise to their first victory in five games, but of course it couldn’t be that simple. The Senators get an early goal when Wingles tips the puck past Brian Elliott to set up a gripper for the Flames the rest of the way through the period. The Flames appear to be sitting on the one goal lead for the first 6-7 minutes of the stanza, a recipe for disaster, but they finally settle down and actually start creating scoring chances of their own. With the goalie pulled however, the Senators tie things up when Wideman (the Senator version) one times it past Brian Elliott creating the need for overtime.
The overtime period was mostly Ottawa to be honest, they had the puck most of the time. But a late breakdown by Erik Karlsson of all people creates a two on nobody for Mikael Backlund and Johnny Gaudreau and they combine to set up Gaudreau for his first goal in about 6 years for the game winner. Flames win 3-2 in Ottawa and head into the all star break with their spirits lifted.
Possession Pulse
First Period – Not sure I’d have the eye test completely matching the underlying stats in the first period. The Flames were good but not dominant, but they led the five on five shots board by a 16-5 count, overall by a 17-9 mark. The Senators had a lot of zone time of their own, but failed to even generate shot attempts.
Second Period – 13-11 for the Flames in the second five on five, but they trailed when you take powerlays into it as the Senators had a 16-13 lead.
Third Period – The Senators pushing the play to tie things up have the edge in the third 18-13 five on five and 20-15 for the full 20 minutes.
Overtime – 4-3 for the Senators in the extra period.
Players – The newly formed Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, Michael Frolik line were the corsi darlings in this one as they all hauled in better than 70%, settling once and for all who the possession magnet on the Flames is. Yes Frolik and not Mikael Backlund or Matthew Tkachuk is the man (tongue mostly in cheek). Other guys with a good night included; Tkachuk and Backlund along with Mark Giordano, all over 60% (see tongue in cheek). Only a handful of players had tough nights including parts of the third and fourth line as Ferland, Bennett, Versteeg, and Brouwer were all less than 50%.
1. Johnny Gaudreau: Nets the game winner, and adds an assist on the Monahan goal to head into the break on a high.
2. Brian Elliott: Solid all night, but just huge in overtime as the win and your in man is now in.
3. Erik Karlsson: Sure he turned the puck over for the game winner, but he was huge all night playing almost 34 minutes for the Senators.
Big Save
Has to be the Elliott save on Pageau in the extra frame. It was a rolling puck and he didn’t get a lot on it, but he was in alone and was stoned by a right pad save by Elliott. Game changer.
The Goat
Not sure if I’ve given the goat a game star before, but as well as Karlsson played he still gets the goal horns for his turnover in the extra period. Simply can’t cough it up like that.
Mr. Clutch
Mark Giordano had a solid night for the Flames. He didn’t hit the scoresheet but he was +2 and led the team in ice time with over 25 minutes. Great turn on the ice from the captain.
Odds and Ends
Some big changes in the lineup up front with the splitting up of the 3M line for the first time since October. Michael Frolik leaves his buddies to hook up with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, while Backlund and Tkachuk get Alex Chiasson as their new right wing. The only other change in the lineup is in between the pipes with Brian Elliott replacing Chad Johnson. … Earlier in the day Glen Gultuzan announced a new “win and you’re in” policy for the goaltenders for the time being, something I like as it makes things pretty clear for two struggling players. If it was me I’d keep Backlund and Frolik together, and give them Johnny Gaudreau for a week or two. The duo gave Sam Bennett his best moments of hockey, got Joe Colborne a raise in Colorado and helped Tkachuk adapt to the NHL as a rookie, might do wonders to get Calgary’s biggest threat threatening again. … Micheal Frolik’s double minor in the first period now gives him 12 minutes in penalties in the last four games, way too much. Maybe he saw that Hockey Night in Canada leaderboard filled with Flames players and minor penalties and felt jealous. Considering he’s a key penalty killer he’s got to stop sticking opponents in the head. … Really noticed Brett Kulak’s recovery speed tonight, really gives him that extra option if he gets caught. He may be young and inexperienced, but some wheels on that third pairing really makes a difference. … Overall tonight I thought the change up in the lines worked. Backlund and Tkachuk together were still able to generate and Frolik really gave the Monahan/Gaudreau duo a boost. … The win moves the Flames back into a playoff spot in the West with the Canucks loss to the Coyotes tonight. It’s perilous given the games in hand situation, but they are a playoff team at the all star break.
Next Up
It’s all star break time! The Flames don’t play again until Wednesday when they host the Minnesota Wild at the Saddledome. Game time 8.00pm.
Lines:
Tkachuk – Backlund – Chiasson
Versteeg – Bennett – Brouwer
Gaudreau – Monahan – Frolik
Bouma – Stajan – Ferland
Giordano – Hamilton
Brodie – Wideman
Kulak – Engellend
Elliott
