The game was built up as a measuring stick for the Flames as they headed out East – once again – to take on one of the powerhouses in the Eastern Conference.
The measurement came up short.
The Flames had 49 shots on goal, something you don’t see in too many four goal losses, but gave up way too much in the first half of the game and were pretty much trounced by the Florida Panthers by a 6-2 score.
The game had an interesting flow to it. Both teams on the attack at all times. The Flames with what I thought was the better five on five first period, but the Panthers took things away in the second and then just cruised in the third to the win.
Should give Mr. Sutter lots to talk about in practice tomorrow in Tampa.
The Lineup
Just one change after the Flames convincing win in Chicago on Sunday night, with Brett Ritchie coming in for Brad Richardson.
I was whining in each of the last two game stories after the Flames long covid break that they simply needed to do something with their fourth line; it was getting filled in. Not sure if Ritchie for Richardson is the level of change needed, but it’s a start as I had Richardson as the guy that needed to be scratched. Tyler Pitlick is a black hole with the puck but at least he’s hard on opposing puck carriers and physical as hell. Richardson wasn’t moving the needle in any facet.
So the lines tonight are Elias Lindholm between Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Dillon Dube between Milan Lucic and Andrew Mangiapane, Mikael Backlund between Blake Coleman and Tyler Pitlick, and a new fourth line of Sean Monahan between Brett Ritchie and Trevor Lewis. We will see.
No change on the blueline with Noah Hanifin lining up with Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington; who I feel has settled right back into his surging self after a few missteps before the Covid break, with Chris Tanev, and a third pairing of Nikita Zadorov with Erik Gudbranson.
In goal once again Jacob Markstrom, but look to the Tampa/Carolina back to backs on Thursday and Friday for the return of Daniel Vladar.
Line Metrics
xGF%
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk 64.2%
Lucic – Dube – Mangiapane 73.7%
Coleman – Backlund – Pitlick 51.9%
Ritchie – Monahan – Lewis NA
Hanifin – Andersson 58.2%
Kylington – Tanev 56.7%
Zadorov – Gudbranson 52.5%
Goals Saved + Avg
Markstrom +9.6
Remember the Five Hole Move?
Seems like not that long ago that any breakaway by Johnny Gaudreau would result in an attempted wrap around, on the ice, around the goalie’s pad.
It pretty much always failed.
He sure has the wrister to the top corner glove side figured out now doesn’t he?
In the first he uses his speed to pull away and then beats Bobrovsky glove side like we’ve seen so often this season. Likely this is becoming a thing and he’ll have to mix it up again, but it’s good to see the progression.
All For One
Watching how a team behaves when a star player takes a bump is always interesting.
You almost never hear any team tell the media that their “room sucks”, but there are tell tale signs of things meshing and one of them is the response when a player like Gaudreau gets hit like he did in the first by Gudas.
The Flames go straight to Gudas on the shift with Matthew Tkachuk leading the charge.
Next shift out Erik Gudbranson shakes him down in a scrum.
Then a hard hit behind the Florida net by Tkachuk.
Finally a stern talking to by Milan Lucic.
Really good sign.
Coleman Strikes
Good to see Blake Coleman hit the scoreboard.
Though he failed later on a breakaway his first period bank shot was his 5th of the season and hopefully a catalyst to a better second half in his first season in Calgary.
The Flames have had a money number one line and a pleasant surge from Milan Lucic and Andrew Mangiapane, but it’s forwards four through six that just haven’t gotten it done this year.
Hopefully a sign of things to come.
Felt for Markstrom
Couldn’t fault him for any of the first period goals from the Panthers as he was beat on two powerplays, one on loose change, one on a deflection with no one taking the man, and an even strength goal off his defenseman.
But it was even worse in the second as the big guy kept his team in it all period only to get beat by a fanned shot by former Flame Lomberg in the last 17 seconds.
Without that late one it was 3-2 going to the third with Calgary lucky to be in it.
Annoying PA Announcer
Is it me or does the PA announcer at Florida games drone on for too long.
Noticed it in the first period, but what really stood out was the third in the first minute when they announced the late 2nd period strike by Ryan Lomberg. First off I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that done, it’s usually announced as people head to the bathroom or a beer, but it certainly shouldn’t take 70 seconds to spit out.
I find it distracting and I’m watching TV.
End of OLD MAN GET OFF MY LAWN rant.
Special Teams
Honestly I don’t think the Florida Panthers needed to win the special teams battle to win this hockey game, they did plenty of damage five on five, but they did.
With two first period powerplay goals on two chances they really set up the game that was to be, as they took the game away in the second.
All told the Panthers were 2/3 and the Flames were 0/2.
Standings and Record
The loss moves the Flames to 17-8-6 good for 40 points in 31 games and third spot in Pacific.
The Flames are 5th in conference in points, and 3rd in the conference in terms of points percentage.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 49 / Panthers 45
Face Offs: Flames 46% / Panthers 54%
Powerplay: Flames 0-2 / Panthers 2-3
Fancy Stats
Doesn’t happen very often, but this is one of the rare games where I honestly don’t know if I feel the underlying stats matched the eye test when it comes to what you took in watching the game. The Flames had the better of the play by the stats, but I honestly thought the Panthers were the better team for much of the game. A case of score effects with the Flames having a good third with things out of hand. Five on five the Flames had 50% of the shot attempts with period splits of 52%/38% and 69% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 57%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 54%, with a 19-16 split. Score effects or not the bottom line was Bobrovsky having himself a night.
In all situations the Flames had 49% of the shot attempts, 53% of the expected goals, and 50% of the high danger splits.
Individually the Flames were led by Nikita Zadorov with 63% of the five on five shot attempts. His battery mate Erik Gudbranson joined him in the 60s club. Matthew Tkachuk, Blake Coleman, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangiapane and Johnny Gaudreau also had very good nights. The fourth line didn’t fair much better with the changes as Sean Monahan, Brett Ritchie and the top pairing of Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson were all under 40%.
