In a game that literally meant nothing, we saw a relatively spirited effort from two teams that will have a lot of navel gazing to do in the off season.
The Vancouver Canucks got off to a solid start with a goal just a minute in, but from there it was all Calgary with four straight goals in a 4-1 win on Thursday night.
The two teams have three more games against each other to wind out the season; Vancouver with an extra game against Edmonton to boot, before they can call an end to their nightmarish seasons.
Darryl Sutter has hinted at AHL help to wind down the schedule, but not tonight as only Oliver Kylington and Glen Gawdin got a second look.
Would imagine we’ll see more farmhands in the next three games.
The Line Up
Playing out the string is never all that fun. The Flames get an extra special dose of that feeling this year given the fact that the league has wound down and the playoffs are starting; with the rest of Canadian teams almost annoyed that Calgary and Vancouver are in the way. Not as much change as you’d imagine. An injury to Sean Monahan but other than that it’s business as usual for the most part.
-The Cage
A bit of a surprise to see Jacob Markstrom starting tonight given the fact that he’s started each of the last 15 games. The obvious answer is the opposition I suppose, with the former Canuck preferring to play his old mates rather than sit on the bench and watch. If you don’t get the expected value out of the asset I guess you can play the hell out of him!
Jacob Markstrom
Goals Saved above average -8.6
Louis Domingue
Yet to play
The Blueline
No change on the blueline from the last game as the same three trios as the 6-1 win over the Senators. So that’s Mark Giordano and Chris Tanev, Nikita Nesterov and Rasmus Andersson and finally Oliver Kylington and Michael Stone. Bit of a surprise that we’re not seeing Juuso Valimaki and/or Conner Mackey, but perhaps that’s coming in one of the final three games.
Giordano – Tanev
63% xGF in 253 minutes
Nesterov – Andersson
53% xGF in 104 minutes
Kylington – Stone
70% xGF in 14 minutes
Up Front
The injury to Sean Monahan has created a ripple effect to the third and fourth lines. No change in the top line as the red hot Johnny Gaudreau continues to skate with Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk. Milan Lucic moves up to take Monahan’s spot on the second line with Derek Ryan and Dillon Dube. No change to the third line as Mikael Backlund centers Joakim Nordstrom and Andrew Mangiapane. That leaves Glen Gawdin to center the returning Josh Leivo and Brett Ritchie.
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk
61% xGF in 119 minutes
Lucic – Ryan – Dube
100% xGF in 3 minutes
Nordstrom – Backlund – Mangiapane
83% xGF in 15 minutes
Leivo – Gawdin – Ritchie
New Combination
~ Data from NaturalStatTrick, and Moneypuck
Giordano / Tanev Pairing
A lot was made earlier this season of the great underlying numbers of the team’s top pairing in Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev.
However, the numbers in the reformed top pairing of Tanev with Mark Giordano look even better. Coming into tonight’s game the veteran duo had 63% of the five on five expected goal split in their 253 minutes together, elapsing the 57% that Hanifin and Tanev had when they were a pair.
Two comments from these numbers; 1) The decline of Mark Giordano has been greatly overstated. He’s been a top pairing defenseman in the last six weeks, and very much still a viable option on the blueline at age 38. 2) Chris Tanev has been money with whoever he’s played with this season.
What a signing.
But it does make you wonder about Quinn Hugues, doesn’t it? Tanev’s numbers with Hughes last year (48%) were well back of his numbers overall this year (59%). Hughes this season? 38% compared to 44% last year largely playing with Tanev.
Hmmmm …
Going to the Worlds
Great to see some Calgary Flames heading to the World Championships this year.
For whatever reason it’s always been a tournament that Calgary players turned down. Will be fun watching Dillon Dube and Andrew Mangiapane compete for Canada, and it’s a great opportunity for Conner Mackey as well.
For the two youngish forwards it’s a great experience boost, and for Mackey it could literally mean the difference between starting next year in the AHL, or making the Flames out of camp.
Top Line Rolling
Really something to see the way the top trio is throwing the puck around these days; they honestly look like a number one line … something we haven’t seen all that much this season.
Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk specifically haven’t looked looked more like themselves all season than they have in the last handful of games.
It would be easy to chalk that up to a meaningless game, but the sample size stretches back into some desperation games down the stretch.
Certainly has to add some food for thought to who they try to bring back and who they move if they have a ready made first line to start next season.
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 28 Canucks 25
Face Offs – Flames 39%
Powerplay – Flames 1/4 Canucks 0/1
Player Stats:
Points – The top line again … all three with two points apiece, as Gaudreau has two assists and Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm each have a goal and an assist.
Plus/Minus – Repeat. All three of Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm all finish the game at +2.
Shots – Ok this one is weird, Chris Tanev leads all shooters with five shots on goal for the game.
Fancy Stats
Man did this game swing. All Canucks to start the game, though minutes later Calgary takes the rest of the first. The Canucks dominate the first five minutes of the second before getting run over for the final 15 minutes. On and on it went. The final stats five on five finished with Calgary up at 56% of the shot attempts on period splits of 55%/48% and 85%. High danger chances five on five were 6-5 Flames for 56%. Expected goal splits were 53% for the Flames.
In all situations the Flames had 55% of the shot attempts, 55% of the high danger chances and 53% of the expected goal splits.
Individually the Flames were led by Chris Tanev at 72%, as his monster first season in Calgary continues on. The top line came in succession after that with Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm all at 70-71%. Glen Gawdin, Oliver Kylington, Brett Ritchie and Mark Giordano also finished in the 60% range. Only five players finished under the 50% mark including Rasmus Andersson, Derek Ryan, Joakim Nordstrom, Nikita Nesterov and Dillon Dube.
