When you have an off game against a good opponent it generally goes poorly. When said good opponent is also a well motivated opponent because you ruined their home opener a week back you can double down on that danger.
The Flames played right into the Predator’s hands tonight, forcing the play and turning too many pucks over against a very smart and patient road team that was all too happy to take advantage in a 5-3 assisted final.
The Flames trailed all the way, tying the game on three occasions before finally coming up short when the Predators put it away with an empty net goal.
Pace of Play
Was interesting to see two very contrasting styles in the game tonight.
The Flames were very much about quick play and moving the puck up the ice rapidly, while the Predators had a noticeable habit of getting the puck behind their net and waiting for the stretch pass tip in option.
One team slowing things down, the other looking to speed it up.
You’d think quick would work, but the patience of the Predators had the Flames turning pucks over often in a game where they struggled on the attack.
Tough Guy Watch
Interesting to see Nashville twice in just over a week and the roster decisions made.
Last time we saw the Predators the Flames inserted Anthony Peluso into the line up to counteract the presence of Zach Rinaldo. Rinaldo dressed again tonight but there was no Peluso in sight.
Did it matter? Yes and no.
I don’t think the Flames played a particularly timid game without the option, but I did notice Rinaldo being pissy in scrums more than I did in the game played in Music City.
Given the fact that Rinaldo scored maybe the Flames should have dressed all their ham handed players as a deterrent!
Tough Schedule
Very odd schedule for the Flames to start the season.
They open in Vancouver, come home for one, hit the road for three, home for two then out East for two, back home for two and then out East again.
What computer program came up with that mess?
Blue Chip Chances
I’ve mentioned a few times that the Flame’s biggest statistical issue in their games is the number of high danger chances they’re giving up; something that very much matches the eye test as well.
Tonight all three goals through two periods were on high quality chances and breakdowns.
Coming in the Flames had given up 61 high quality chances five on five in 6 games over a total of 264 minutes which is obviously 10 per game or one every four and half minutes. They have to get that number down.
Tonight they gave up 15 more in 50 minutes, it’s killing them, all four goals tonight were on ten bell chances.
Your Turn
The forward group had the next man up to sit a game as Austin Czarnik was sat with Dillon Dube returning from a foot injury after missing a game.
The result was the top three lines remained unchanged while Dube played the left side of the fourth line with Derek Ryan and Garnet Hathaway.
Later in the game we saw an effective shift with Ryan moving up and taking Mark Jankowski’s spot on the third line between Sam Bennett and James Neal. The trio had a solid shift to get some momentum back for the team when it was down 3-2. I wasn’t surprised as I honestly thought Jankowski would be the one sitting after his rough third period against the Bruins.
Peters hinted at that overload look late in the second, but the top two lines returned to normal in the third period.
Bennett Again
Great that he scored a goal, we’ve all seen how hard those are either to score or count for the player, but more to the point he was a noticeable player again tonight, something we’ve seen in five straight this season (seven if you count the Vancouver games where he was doing something with little ice time).
His third period goal ties the game, and then he was unlucky not to tie it again when his one timer went through Saros’s pads and out the other side.
It’s still early and he’s been streaky before so you can’t get ahead of oneself but it’s such a good sign for the player and the build of this team if he’s taken a step.
Brodie Bobbles
Much like the game in Denver, TJ Brodie had a decent night after some early mistakes but one of his boo boos in the second period was especially hard to understand.
Can’t blame him for the first goal as he had lost his stick making the coverage of Ryan Johansen somewhat difficult.
But the Predator’s second goal by Craig Smith was just baffling. Yes he was on the ice with a different partner as Mark Giordano vacated for Jusso Valimaki, but why did he enter Valimaki’s side of the ice leaving Smith wide open in front of the net. He leaned to go once, looked back and then went again after the read. Made no sense to me at all.
Are the Flames adjusting to an overload defensive system that has the second defenseman creep over to support when it looks like possession is gained? Or was Brodie just out to lunch?
Non Calls
I wasn’t surprised that the officials didn’t call any of the hooks that led to the Nashville empty net goal, as at that time in the game they really want to avoid a call that could decide the hockey game. But the back to back missed high sticks on Johnny Gaudreau and TJ Brodie late in the game were harder to explain.
When you have two officials and the linesman allowed to interject on high sticking calls it’s kind of hard to understand both being missed, especially when the Predators had a four minute advantage on the James Neal stick foul earlier in the game; the first of which resulted in a Predator goal.
As an aside however, I still cringe when I see Johnny Gaudreau complaining too officials. Lately I tend to agree with his disappointment in most cases, but his rap sheet from two years ago is still pretty fresh and I want some water under the bridge on showing up officials so he can get more calls.
Fancy Stats
More of the same for the Flames when it comes to fancy stats.
They own the shot attempts five on five with 56% on period splits of 47% / 61% / 58%, but were bested in scoring chances 45% (25-30) and the high danger chances 44% (12/15). In all situations the Flames had 55% of the shot attempts, 47% of the scoring chances and 48% of the high danger chances.
individually the Flames were led by the make shift third line put together in the second with Ryan, Bennett and Neal each posting 70% in the game. Michael Stone, Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie were all in and around 58% on the night. On the downside three players finished under water; as the first line got crushed for the second straight game posting numbers in the 40s.
