At certain points in a team’s evolution a bubble position just sucks.
When Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff were winding down their tenures in Flame’s silks they often would finish 9th or 10th in the conference, a result that really hurt for the fan base. They didn’t make the playoffs, and they didn’t get the high draft pick, essentially the worst form of failure for a season’s group.
My expectations going into this season was exactly that, a bubble season, however in this case that reads success as the team is young, learning, and in or out the process is a gain in itself, regardless of the outcome.
With that said, this road trip was clearly large. The Kings were set to get Johnathan Quick back and put in a fierce push, leaving the Flames either in or out of the playoffs by a narrow margin. With four games left against each other, this road trip could have been the deciding factor between success and failure as the season moves into the stretch drive. The club needed 5 points at a minimum, but 6 or 7 would go along way in putting the Flames in a position of success heading home.
So clearly today’s win, a 3-1 victory in Carolina, was huge, as it gave the Flames 9 of a possible 10 points on the trip, sending them home to play 12 of their final 19. Now if they can bottle this game up in white and move it to the game they play in red.
The Flow
The first handful of minutes in this one had “matinee” written all over it as the two teams took a page from many Calgary Minor Hockey tyke games today, whacking the puck back and forth with neither team having anything close to “possession”. Sam Bennett gets caught not using his noodle again, wrapping his arms around a Cane’s player and getting a holding penalty, and former Hitmen Viktor Rask quickly one times a Skinner pass past Elliott and it’s 1-0 for the hosts. The Flames settle in however, and pretty much take the period over, Sean Monahan himself has three grade A chances, but Eddie Lack was able to keep things at bay. Calgary continues to generate chances and zone time, but fail to get the equalizer. Overall solid period, but the Canes lead 1-0 after one.
The Flames pretty happy to just keep on keeping on, roll out the same game in the second and continue to dominate territorially. The fourth line, whom finished the 1st on a great cycle shift, have another early in the 2nd and almost score on a Matt Stajan chance. But the Flames finally tie it up when Michael Stone blocks a point shot, the puck bouncing up to Gaudreau who samurai’s it to a streaking Micheal Ferland who goes post and in on Lack to tie the game at one apiece. The Flames go ahead when Ferland steals the puck on a backcheck, sends it up the boards to Gaudreau who attempts a pass, gets it back and then takes it to the slot, gathering his own rebound and putting it through Lack’s pads; Flames up 2-1. Some tense points both ways to round out the period, but the game stays 2-1 Calgary, a solid road period, though the Cane’s certainly had some chances of their own.
Good start to the third period as the Flames generate some zone time looking for that third goal, Sam Bennett coming close on a good pass from Versteeg. Then the Flames seem to resort to end of road trip chip and protect hockey as they let the Hurricanes bring the puck to them, but in all fairness they do a good job of protecting and keeping the chances to a minimum. Aho almost ties it with about 8 minutes to play but Elliott does a good job of extending a pad and keeping the Flames up a goal as time starts to wind down on their road trip. Flames settle in with the Brodie/Stone and Hamilton/Giordano pairings have great examples of shutting down the opposition and transitioning the puck up the ice effortlessly. Gaudreau puts it away on a nifty play from the slot that hits a Cane’s defenseman and past Lack and that was pretty much all she wrote.
1st Period – Five on five the Flames had the period, running up a 22-11 margin in shot attempts, while the Flames also led in scoring chances by a 9-7 count.
2nd Period – One of those games were underlying stats paint a more accurate picture than the traditional stats as the Cane’s led 22-19 in shots through two periods, while the shot attempts five on five were 22-14 Calgary in the period and 44-25 through 40. Scoring chances were 15-7 in the period and 24-14 overall in favour of the Flames.
3rd Period – Shot attempts all Carolina in the third, a good reason why the community has entered the term score effects to corsi events. They run up a 25-6 margin, and a 10-4 margin in scoring chances.
Players – What can you say about that 3M line? They all post roughly 64% in shot attempts despite only having 10% of their starts in the offensive zone; that’s really incredible. Elite, elite line. Other guys with good nights included Kris Verteeg, Hamilton, Giordano, Stone, Brodie, Bennett and Ferland. At the bottom of the pile was the fourth line and bottom defense pairing all in the high 30s or low 40s.
1. Johnny Gaudreau: Finally gets off the snide, as he’s gone 11 straight games without a goal. Scores two and adds an assist to make it 8 points in his last 4 games.
2. Bryan Elliott: Didn’t have to be the man in any way shape or form, but he was oh so solid when called upon in a close game.
3. Sebastian Aho: Most dangerous player on the ice for the home side, had the Cane’s two best scoring chances in the last half of the game.
Big Save
Lack’s stop on Monahan in the first was great, but by timing you have to give it to Bryan Elliott and his pad reach on Sebastian Aho in the third period tonight. Clutch desperation play from a gamer.
The Goat
The Hanafin/Pesce defense pairing had a rough night, as they were on the ice for all three of the Flames goals including two from the slot with players allowed free reign.
Mr. Clutch
Micheal Ferland. Has given the Flames the two line threat they’ve been starving for all season with 6 goals in his last 12 games, needs to continue to play his game.
Odds and Ends
No changes to the defense pairs or the forward groups as the hot Flames are left alone to continue roll over opponents, .
Next Up
The Flames return home for the game of the year (thus far) when they host the L.A. Kings on Tuesday night, game time 7pm on Sportsnet. Huge game in the wildcard battle in the West. With two goaltenders coming off wins they had a decision to make and went back to Bryan Elliott, who last played against the Bolts in Tampa. … With two very good lines; thanks Micheal Ferland, the team now seems to have a third group emerging as “Bennie and the Vets” (yeah Benny, Benny, Bennyyyyyyyy) are certainly generating more zone time, something that really adds up for the whole group over the course of 60 minutes. The offence will come but in the meantime the wear and tear on defenseman from the zone time is adding to the bottom line. … Back to Ferland. His other appearances on top lines featured him desperately trying to get the puck to his skilled linemates instead of playing what got him there; a north south game that features a lot of straight line work. This time around he seems to be ignoring who he’s playing with and just taking the puck to the net himself. Monahan isn’t Trottier, and Gaudreau isn’t Bossy, but Ferland certainly has some Clark Gillies in him. … Eddie Lack always makes me smile when I see him in net. Makes me thing of that crazy playoff series two years ago when Hughson and the broadcast crew couldn’t get enough of Lack and his father in the crowd. Also my favourite Calgarypuck line of all time (that may be a stretch); “I find your faith in Lack disturbing”. Classic. … Thought that was Michael Stone’s best game in Calgary colours. The Flames have won all his games, but he’s been getting better in each and every one, tonight clearly though the best. He seemed more relaxed, kept his game simple, and did a heck of a job finishing opposing forwards when they tried to cycle the puck. … The win puts the Flames back up 6 on the Kings with L.A. having 2 games in hand, interesting to watch the Oilers/Predators game (4-4) in the third, Calgary could be back 4 points of the Oilers with even games.
Lines:
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Gaudreau – Monahan – Ferland
Versteeg – Bennett – Brouwer
Bouma – Stajan – Chiasson
Giordano – Hamilton
Brodie – Stone
Bartkowski – Engelland
Elliott
