When I was a kid my dad had a great saying in golf. Don’t turn a 1/2 stroke mistake into a double bogie.
No I’m not suggesting the Flames are heading for golf courses prematurely this season, but back to back extra time losses by identical 2-1 scores are 1/2 stroke mistakes. Both in Saturday’s loss to the Jets and in tonight’s loss to the Sabres the Flames carried chunks of the game, and had chances, but with the offense drying up somewhat out of the five day break, Mike Smith has been able to help his club to back to back points; something that could prove huge at the end of the season.
That’s nine straight games with points for the Flames, a silver lining in a game where they really should have had two against a bottom feeder.
Hrivik for Mangiapane
Not a big surprise to me to see Andrew Mangiapane on the sidelines, his first healthy scratch since being inserted into the lineup for the Flames win streak.
The fourth line in general has slipped a bit since the Florida game, but his play has slid the most both in the eye test and underlying metrics that suggest he’s having a rough time.
This isn’t to be an attack on the player as this is his first stint in the NHL, but I would be surprised to see him go back when Michael Frolik is activated after the all star break.
To be honest this may be a one game swap as I wasn’t all that impressed with Hrivik in tonight’s game. He seemed behind the play, and lost many a puck battle with both Matt Stajan and Curtis Lazar buzzing pretty well.
The Frolik Issue
And speaking of Frolik, I do wonder how they’ll manage his return to the lineup after said all star break.
The obvious answer is to put him right back where he belongs on the 3M line with Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk. A team needs a solid top six and that’s the best way to achieving that goal.
An additional way to manage things however is to keep Troy Brouwer in that spot as it appears that Backlund is weaving his Colborne/Bouma magic to make the player more competitive then he’s been on different lines this season.
That would afford the team to jack up the third line as well with Frolik giving a veteran and defensive conscious to the Bennett/Jankowski duo giving Calgary a solid top nine.
Something to ponder.
The Left Wingers Become A Thing
Didn’t always work, didn’t immediately result in a high calibre powerplay but you can see something building between Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk on the team’s first powerplay unit.
The setup and puck movement has been too predictable this year, but with Gaudreau now looking hard at Matthew Tkachuk to play catch instead of Mark Giordano at the top of the umbrella it seems to be opening up some options. Tkachuk either sits out front and tips pucks or moves below the goal line and looks for Sean Monahan. Both were good looks and could lead to something going forward with the man advantage.
Giordano In The Zone
Shame the Flames wasted a great effort from their captain, who was noticeably on point in tonight’s game. With battles in front of his own net, skating the puck out of danger with authority or pinching aggressively in the Sabre’s zone he was making things happen almost every time he was on the ice.
There were some long faces when he signed a six year deal at the age of 32 but now almost two years into the six and still very much on top of his game it’s slanting towards a very good signing. Another year next campaign at this level and it’s gravy from that point on in his decline. That is if he declines; freak of nature.
Kulak and the Doughnut
Show of hands, how many Flame’s fans hold their breath when Brett Kulak gets a great chance to shatter his zero in the goal column for his career?
The likeable 6th defenseman was famously credited with the Canucks’ own goal at the start of last season, which was changed and now the player still sits at zero goals on his NHL resume. Tonight he had two or three good chances to score including a great chance that should/would have given the Flames a regulation win.
It will come.
Lazar and the Code
Not sure what the code is for accepting a challenge to scrap, and then having your opponent get turned around before you feed him three solid lefts from behind.
That was the case when the Sabre’s Nathan Beaulieu challenged Lazar and then left the game not to return. My gut says all is fair in a hockey fight and Lazar was able to turn the player, but it looked odd.
Okposo Regrets?
Many a Flame’s fan wanted Kyle Okposo on the Flames when he was available via free agency a year and a half ago; I’m guessing many of the many are thanking God for unanswered prayers as Garth Brooks has sung so elegantly. The guy is a turn over machine and just too soft to warrant his big contract.
I’ve seen some behind the scenes stuff from the Islanders over the years, he’s a great guy, but not a complete hockey player.
Rough Night For Refs
Have you ever seen officials in the way more times in a hockey game than tonight?
The Flames through dumb luck were on the wrong side of about a half dozen pucks off of officials and either to a Sabre or into harms way. The Sabres scored their lone regulation goal off of a zebra deflection, and the Sabres late powerplay that led to the overtime game winner was also sprung from a deflection from the officials.
Tom Kowal in particular had a brutal night.
Playoff Implications
The point moves the Flames back ahead of the Kings with even games played and secures third spot in the Pacific for the time being.
The Kings, of course, come a visiting on Wednesday night, a huge game for the Flames.
The Flames are two points back of the Sharks with San Jose having a game in hand.
Fancy Stats
The Flames ended up with a slight edge in the shot attempts with period splits of 44% / 67% and 45% for an overall game total of 52%. Scoring chances five on five were 7-6 for the Sabres. In all situations the Flames had a 9-8 edge in scoring chances. Decent but not good enough against a team they should have mopped up.
Individually, the top pairing was dominant with roughly 65% on the night and joined in the 60s by Curtis Lazar and Matthew Tkachuk. The top line and the rest of the second line were also above the break even point on the night. At the other end was the fourth line led by Marek Hrivik at 28%, Matt Stajan at 38%, TJ Brodie with another rough night at 39%. The second pairing has to find their legs again, they’ve been huge factors in both extra time losses.
