Well that was fun wasn’t it?
The Calgary Flames were gassed on Thursday night, you could see it midway through the first period, and it just got worse from there in a 6-1 Ottawa victory in Ottawa.
Good excuse to some degree for sure, but only to a point, as good teams find ways to push through and get the job done, something the Flames clearly did not.
The season isn’t over. The three points in Toronto were probably somewhat unexpected, so some wins in the next few games will perhaps make tonight’s wrong, less wrong.
But you just don’t get a good feeling about this team this year.
They just don’t seem to have the gumption to get things done.
The Line Up
The Flames were successful in Toronto. I mean who would have picked three if asked how many points they’d secure in a tough building? I know I would have landed firmly on one. The way they played, especially in the second game left a bit of a rough taste in this writer’s mouth; you can play for a tie and get away with it once in a while. It’s not a good recipe.
With tonight’s game in Ottawa the very next night you know the Flames are going to make a change or two. Smart to get some rested legs in and hope they provide a spark
The Cage
Ordinarily another change would come in goal with back to backs. But with Jacob Markstrom on the DL and David Rittich pretty well rested coming into this week this season there really wasn’t much choice. Luckily Rittich is also the guy holding the hot hand and on a roll.
Jacob Markstrom
Save percentage above average -0.322
David Rittich
Save percentage above average 0.967
The Blueline
One change on the blueline with Oliver Kylington coming out and Nikita Nesterov coming in. I thought Kylington looked pretty decent with very limited minutes in Toronto, save for two pretty spectacular falls when he had the puck. The team really needs a true 6 to step up and grab that job. Injuries will eventually force two into a game at once, but for now they’re just trying to round out the troops. Mark Giordano goes with Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev; the pairing that seems to put up 55%-60% nightly regardless of how the team is playing, and Nesterov and Valimaki.
Giordano – Andersson
43% xGF in 229 minutes
Hanifin – Tanev
61% xGF in 289 minutes
Nesterov – Valimaki
56% xGF in 172 minutes
Up Front
Just the one change up front as well. They go with Elias Lindholm between Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane, a line that has far too many play drivers to be sub 50% regardless of matchups, but there they are. Sean Monahan between Johnny Gaudreau and Sam Bennett, the third most frequent line to hit the ice for the Flames this season. Mikael Backlund between Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube, a line that has really struggled in the three or four games they’ve been together. And finally a relatively new line of Glen Gawdin between Joakim Nordstrom and Buddy Robinson.
Tkachuk – Lindholm – Mangiapane
48% xGF in 71 minutes
Gaudreau – Monahan – Bennett
42% xGF in 69 minutes
Lucic – Backlund – Dube
32% xGF in 24 minutes
Nordstrom – Gawdin – Robinson
100% xGF in 1 minute
The Start
Honestly almost opposite of what we’ve seen.
The Flames had a good solid five or six minutes to start the period, but then seemed to lose their energy and confidence when the Senators turned a rebound into a 1-0 lead.
By the end of the period it was pretty much a disaster with the Flames badly out shot and out played. Would be interesting to hear what was said and by whom in the dressing room between the first and second.
The Senators are playing way better hockey of late, but you can’t have team 31 out shoot you 13-5 in the first period.
Where is the pride? That’s embarrassing.
Rittich’s Performance
I’m going to let this one just slip out of my memory banks and give the guy a break.
He faced a lot of rubber in the the last two games, plus the first period tonight and it looks like he was exhausted.
He didn’t have a chance on the first one, the second was a huge screen, wouldn’t say the third one was his fault, while clearly the fourth one was ugly as all hell.
Hopefully Markstrom is healthy and can go soon, as I’d like to see a tandem where they can spell each other off instead of this one goalie every game until he drops dead business.
Puck Bobbles
It’s really been a thing this year.
You can’t get mad at a hockey player for having a puck bounce right before it gets to him, or a look up to make a read seeing the puck slide off the player’s stick. It happens to everyone, and it’s part of the game.
But honestly I don’t know if I’ve seen such a prolonged series of players mishandling routine plays as I’ve seen with the Flames this year.
It’s almost game in and game out from players that are generally pretty slick at managing the puck.
Is it nerves? A tight team? Trying to do too much?
Hints at something a little wrong in the confidence department in my mind.
Special Teams Battle
First off … refreshing to see a game of hockey played without a call of any kind. The debacle of whistle happiness in Toronto was really effecting the entertainment value of the sport.
Tonight wasn’t a hugely physical affair so there wasn’t a need to police the game’s emotions and keep players in check, but they also didn’t call any of the ticky tacky stuff that just drives me nuts when they come in bunches.
Nice change.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 30 Senators 31
Face Offs – Flames 53%
Special Teams – Flames 0/0 Senators 0/0
Player Stats:
Points – One point each for Milan Lucic, Dillon Dube and Chris Tanev, Lucic with the goal.
Plus/Minus – The Flames didn’t have any plus players in the game but Sean Monahan, Elias Lindholm, Juuso Valimaki and Nikita Nesterov managed to be even in a 6-1 game which is something.
Shots – The Flames had three players with four shots on goal; Matthew Tkachuk, Juuso Valimaki and Nikita Nesterov.
Fancy Stats
So strange to see a game played 100% five on five. The Flames had 52% of the shot attempts tonight with period splits of 44%/59% and 53%. In terms of high danger chances the Flames had just 5 to Ottawa’s 11 however (31%), as defensively they just didn’t have it. Expected goals went to Ottawa by a 53% margin.
Individually the Flames were led by Matthew Tkachuk at 74%, clearly revved up to play his brother. His linemates Andrew Mangiapane (71%) and Elias Lindholm (68%) also had strong territorial nights. Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Nesterov and Juuso Valimaki also had strongly positive evenings. At the other end Sam Bennett and Dillon Dube were both under 40%.
