Didn’t you just know this one was coming?
The Dallas Stars always win in Calgary, and the Flames having found points in the previous three home games, were tempting fate with a stinker against Arizona and a come from behind improbable overtime against the Blues.
Two days of practice will help at some point for sure, but it wasn’t seen on the ice in this won as the Dallas Stars turned an even first period into a dominant second and a textbook shut down third in turning back the Calgary Flames by a 3-1 score.
The Flames head out on the road again with back to back games this weekend in Arizona and Vegas.
Hopefully these days off come to light.
Line Up Changes
Two relatively interesting changes for a team that has points in all three games on this homestand.
The big one is in net, with Cam Talbot returning to the cage, his first start since losing the last game on the team’s five game road trip in Washington. The start will mean starter David Rittich will go at least 7 days between starts with the club’s break this week. Talbot has appeared in five games this year, and started four. His save percentage is approaching .900 at .899 coming into the game.
The other change is up front with Alan Quine coming out of the lineup and Michael Frolik coming back in after sitting two games. Frolik hasn’t had a great season, with actual results being worse than his suggested numbers, but it seems what really gets him scratched are the stick fouls that seems to be guilty of far too often.
Frolik lines up with Sam Bennett and Derek Ryan. The fourth line will be Mark Jankowski between Milan Lucic and Tobias Rieder.
No change on the blueline, that is the change is still in effect; Giordano with Hamonic, Hanifin with Andersson and a third pairing of TJ Brodie and Michael Stone.
Dreaded Dallas
The Dallas Stars don’t always win in Calgary. Their record is a four game win streak on Saddledome ice, and their current streak coming in tonight is three wins.
But doesn’t it feel like they always win?
Just a dreaded team to head to the game and watch, just a bad mojo feeling as you depart to the Dome. Add in a Wednesday and a 7.30pm start and you have a midweek nightmare.
With tonight’s win the Stars have now won eight of their last ten in Cowtown, with a record of 8-1-1. Talk about the opposite of the Anaheim curse.
Sleepy Second
Cam Talbot may not have had the most scintillating of starts as a Calgary Flame. He’s been decent for sure, and helped win a game in Anaheim, but for the most part he’s been acceptable.
The second period tonight though? He was money. The Flames came out and laid a period long egg with only Talbot bailing the team out.
Second period shots were 18-6 Dallas, scoring chances were 8-1 for the Stars. The game really should have been over after forty.
Late Peters Adjustments
With the team struggling in the third, Bill Peters pretty much reunited everybody.
Michael Frolik back to the 3M Line, and all the defense pairings were put back together. The result didn’t really register however as five on five the Flames failed to really penetrate the solid Dallas team defence, their only goal coming on a powerplay.
Stuck in the Muck
Consistency and transition continue to plague the Flames, well that and their best players just don’t seem to out play the best players on the other side more often than not.
A terrible second period pretty much put this game away, but really the problems started before that. From the first period on the team struggled in transition with the Dallas forecheck creating a “ring the puck” mentality that had very little in forwards getting the puck with any control or speed in order to go on the attack.
Short, quick, smart passes bust up forechecks, but right now the book on the Flames seems to be the overpower method of forcing the defenseman to ring the puck or dump it off the glass.
Their execution will have to improve in order to burn a team or two or they’ll be forced to face the same onslaught night after night.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 25 Stars 32
Face Offs – Flames 53%
Special Teams – Flames 1/4 Stars 1/3
Player Stats:
Points – Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau all had a point apiece.
Plus/Minus – The best Calgary players on the night were even, as the only Calgary goal was on a powerplay.
Shots – Matthew Tkachuk led the way in shots on goal with five.
Fancy Stats
Score effects were firmly on display in this one, as the Flames turned a complete rout into a closer five on five shot attempt game with a push third period. Calgary had 48% of the shot attempts on period splits of 37%/38% and 73%. Scoring chances five on five finished 9-6 Dallas (Calgary 40%).
In all situations the Flames had 49% of the shot attempts (47%/32%/70%), and 48% of the scoring chances (12-13), as Ben Bishop was equal to Talbot in the end.
Individually, the Flames were led by Sean Monahan with 67%, a good sign considering his possession struggles. Other guys with solid nights included TJ Brodie, Milan Lucic and Johnny Gaudreau. Michael Frolik, Michael Stone and Michael Backlund (rough night for Mike’s) were all under 40%.
