Thank God for Jacob Markstrom, and well, later another Swede Mikael Backlund.
The Calgary Flames absolutely mailed in a first period in a Battle of Alberta no less, but survived in turning back the Edmonton Oilers by a 6-4 score on Saturday night in game one of 10! BOA games this season.
The Flames were awful in the first period, but saved by the third line in the second period with two key goals that spirited the team towards a slump busting victory.
Johnny Gaudreau did the rest in the third period as the Flames snapped the Oilers three game win streak and made the standings a little more tight with the Edmonton and Vancouver losses.
Line Up Changes
Once again a lot of intrigue when it comes to the lineup tonight.
Part of it is a rivalry game and not tipping your hat at all. Another part though has to be the Sam Bennett situation and a team trying to decide what to with the player given the trade request (or was it?) last weekend, and the healthy scratch on Thursday. Another one of those times you’d just love to be a fly on the wall in the team management section of the Saddledome.
So from what we’ve learned …
Jacob Markstrom in net, which is pretty obvious. It will be interesting to see how he fares in his first Battle of Alberta. He’s clearly the best goaltender in the game, which is key when the two best forwards are going the other way.
The defense won’t change either, we can pretty much assume that. So assume Mark Giordano and Rasmus Andersson on a pairing; I won’t call them the top pairing any more. Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev as another pairing, the duo arguably in a bit of a slump in the last two games after going forever without giving up a five on five goal. And finally Juuso Valimaki and Nikita Nesterov in the third pairing, Valimaki has had two elite assists in the last three games in Winnipeg and could prove to be key tonight.
Up front is where you’ll find the question marks, mostly around the fourth line. Warmups suggested Sean Monahan will likely be with Johnny Gaudreau and the story creating Sam Bennett. Elias Lindholm between Matthew Tkachuk and Dillon Dube, Mikael Backlund between Milan Lucic and Andrew Mangiapane, and finally either Byron Froese between Zach Rinaldo and Joakim Nordstrom.
By the Numbers
How have the above lines fared this year in metrics?
Tkachuk – Lindholm – Dube
37% xGF in 65 minutes
Gaudreau – Monahan – Bennett
3% xGF in 7 minutes
Lucic – Backlund – Mangiapane
60% xGF in 4 minutes
Rinaldo – Froese – Nordstrom
New formation
One the blueline …
Giordano – Andersson
39% xGF in 126 minutes
Hanifin – Tanev
68% xGF in 142 minutes
Valimaki – Nesterov
59% xGF in 127 minutes
So What to Make of Inconsistency
None of us are on the bench.
None of us are in the dressing room.
You gleam some comments and try and build a case, and with that extrapolate. Last year we heard the players love Geoff Ward and wanted him back. We heard that the dressing room was a tight group, and that they wanted the team kept together.
Yet this team, year in and year out seems to find a way to completely abandon their game from period to period. More often than not they have a decent period, an awful period and a dominant period in most games.
I’ll always point to the myopic nature of sports fans (and media), and how the home team isn’t playing well, it’s never the opposition taking it to them. And perhaps every fan base is frustrated by a lack of consistency in their franchises, and the Flames aren’t that different from the average team.
But what makes a team above average? What makes a team more consistent?
I don’t see the lack of effort … I think athletes at this level are more or less beyond that pitfall. I do question the mental toughness though. This Flames group when things aren’t going well seem to fall back into an individual style. They take higher risks, they push the play where it shouldn’t go.
And what a case in point tonight. The team wasn’t ready to play.
They scored first which should have been the start they needed, but then it was gaff after gaff, silly penalty after silly penalty … no jam at all.
Didn’t like the core coming into this season, was buoyed by a good start from Monahan and Gaudreau, but honestly this isn’t a group you build around.
They’re just too inconsistent … how do you play that first 20 minutes and yet still win a game?
Thank God for Jacob Markstrom
You imagine the outcome in that first period without an elite goaltender?
Shots were 17-3.
High danger chances 4-1 Edmonton (two on the powerplay), but it’s 2-1 and still a game after twenty minutes.
You can’t win without goaltending. You probably can’t win with only goaltending.
Seeing The Error Of His Ways?
Anyone that knows me knows I hate the arm chair quarterback. My assumption is always on the side of we/I don’t know all that goes into every decision, so I’m not one to sit back with a cold one and second guess.
But Geoff Ward put out a lineup tonight with a fourth line that had an AHL vet that hadn’t played a game in 14 months and Zach Rinaldo. That’s a disaster. I don’t get it … I probably won’t get it.
However, given the ice time maybe Geoff Ward figured it out himself; through two periods Rinaldo had 1:32 of ice time and a game total of only 2:04.
So in my reach … does Zach Rinaldo have a motivational effect on the Flames when he’s dressed? So much to the extent that it’s worth literally stapling him to the bench and letting him watch?
Like I said … reach.
The McDavid Crease Crash
First off … man that kid has boots. Unbelievable.
Hitting that zone at that speed is fraught with danger, we’ve seen it two years (was it three?) when McDavid was tripped up by Mark Giordano and craxhed into Mike Smith.
It’s hard to fault a talented player with amazing speed, but when you cut around a defenseman at that speed there’s just so little time to adjust to well … anything.
Chris Tanev definitely got his stick into Connor McDavid’s feet, and with that giving McDavid two minutes seemed to be a bit of a stretch.
Unless … is it still not a rule that if a defenseman plays the puck first then the follow through into the feet isn’t a penalty? That was a rule, but with all the changes over the years I honestly can’t say if that’s still the case.
Was surprised that the Hockey Night in Canada crew didn’t discuss it if it’s still a rule, and a bit surprised they didn’t bring it up as no longer being a rule. Seems like they missed it altogether.
Blasty Jerseys
I’m so torn on these things.
I like them … they look good. Yet I feel like we fought so hard to finally get this team into the right jerseys it’s a shame to see them come out in black and not the classic look in such an important game.
They do look sharp.
I think the bigger logo on the black jersey looks pretty sharp.
I do wonder if they would have gone with the same numbers from the red retro jerseys if it might have looked better.
#done being a wet blanket
Quite The Third Line
When the Flames play the Edmonton Oilers it’s all about depth, not star power. If the Flames were to go blow by blow with each team’s best handful of players they wouldn’t have a chance.
So not a big surprise to see the team’s third line lead the way in a big victory tonight.
Mikael Backlund posts three points and seven shots on goal to lead an awaking of the bottom six, joined by two points apiece from his linemates; two smart assists by Andrew Mangiapane and a goal and an assist from Milan Lucic.
The team has been snake bitten to date to start the season, you kind of had that feeling that they were due to break out. Great to see the bottom half of the forward group finding the range and keying the victory.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 28 Oilers 32
Face Offs – Flames 49%
Special Teams – Flames 1/3 Oilers 1/5
Player Stats:
Points – Mikael Backlund leads the way with a three point night on Edmonton with a goal and two assists.
Plus/Minus – Six players with +2 night including; Backlund, Milan Lucic, Andrew Mangiapane, Mark Giordano, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin.
Shots – Mikael Backlund leads the way with seven shots on goal.
Fancy Stats
Not a bad night for the Flames five on five overall after a terrible start. Calgary had 49% of the shot attempts with period splits of 35%/68% and 40% with score effects. High danger chances were 6-4 Calgary five on five, and the even Steven expected goal split was 59% Flames.
In all situations (Oilers had a 5-3 powerplay edge), Calgary had 42% of the shot attempts, 38% of the high danger chances and 44% of the expected goal split.
Individually the Flames were led by Mikael Backlund at 67%, joined by his linemates Andrew Mangiapane (64%) and Milan Lucic (62%). On the bottom half of the pile (with actual minutes … the fourth line didn’t play, and didn’t do well) was the Monahan line as all of Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Sam Bennett finished with 36% despite scoring two third period goals.
