Quite the run.
The measuring stick reference is brought out a lot. When the Flames traveled to the East to take on the top of the Atlantic Division they had a misstep and los all three games. Sure there were excuses .. the Flames were coming off their covid break and just didn’t look like the same team. But a test is a test, and when they came home from that trip questions were asked.
Tonight the Flames, fresh out of the all star break were taking on the Vegas Golden Knights, the top team in their division and a club their head coach compared to the LA King cup teams he coached a decade ago.
No matter.
The Flames were up for the task … clearly, running up a 3-0 first period en route to a 6-0 win and Jacob Markstrom’s 8th shut out of the season.
No rest though, the Toronto Maple Leafs are in tomorrow night.
The Lineup
Darryl Sutter is coming out of the all star break with his roster exactly how he entered the pause in play; and who could blame him with the Flames winning their last three games and five of their last six.
Up front it’s Elias Lindholm with Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau, a line that continues to be one of the league’s best. Next up the emerging second line with Mikael Backlund centering Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane. Sean Monahan is the pivot on the third line with Dillon Dube and Brett Ritchie, and finally Adam Ruzicka between Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis.
On the blueline status quo as well; Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington with Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov with Erik Gudbranson.
In goal Jacob Markstrom who has bounced back from a dry spell after the covid break, and has his season expected goals stopped above average approaching 10.0 again.
Line Metrics
xGF%
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk 64.0%
Mangiapane – Backlund – Coleman 63.5%
Dube – Monahan – Ritchie 76.2%
Lucic – Ruzicka- Lewis 48.4%
Hanifin – Andersson 56.6%
Kylington – Tanev 60.6%
Zadorov – Gudbranson 58.6%
Goals Saved + Avg
Markstrom +9.3
Who They Playing?
The Vegas Knights are going to be a tough out, especially when they add Jack Eichel in the coming weeks.
They have a 10th best CF%, built by the 7th best shot generating offence, and the 14th best defence. Similarly they have the 10th best xGF% built the same way with the 6th best xGF60 and the 19th best xGA60.
They’re built to out score you.
Their powerplay is nothing to write home about, ranked 17th, and their penalty killing is in a similar state ranked 16th.
They have the 11th best five on five shooting percentage, and 23rd ranked five on five team save percentage, clearly Calgary should get pucks to the net.
Their PDO is 1.004, just over the break even mark.
Markstrom Doughnut 8
Those that see the out of town scoreboard are going to assume that Jacob Markstorm strutted to another easy night, picking up his eighth shut out of the season.
That wasn’t the case.
Markstrom was called on to make many a high quality save as the Flames with the 3-0 first period lead were a little loose on the defense, giving up shots and high danger chances.
Markstrom was dialed in and solid all night, he know trails Miikka Kiprusoff by shut two shut outs in a season for the Flames all time record.
Honestly I never thought that record would be challenged. It is.
Backlund 4 Point Game
Mikael Backlund has always been a second half player, but this year he started his page turn in the first half putting up a solid set of games before the all star bteak.
Tonight he breaks out though, with a goal and three assists to post his first four point game of his career.
The Flames need that second line to get going, and now with all of Backlund, Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane getting hot and finding chemistry it really gives the Flames that second wave that can help compete against top teams like Vegas.
He now has 19 points in 43 games, moving closer to that 40 point pace that has pretty much been a given in his recent career.
Many have given up on the player. They shouldn’t have.
Mangiapane Scores Twice in RED
Good to see Andrew Mangiapane score twice on home ice.
His odd balance of road goals over home goals is a fluke and not something to worry about, but you’d hate to have that in his head with the slate of home games coming up for the Flames.
To light the lamp twice on the first game after the break, in game one of a seven game homestand is pretty huge.
Flames Flexing at the Dome
Speaking of home stands, the Flames are very hot overall, but certainly on home ice at the right time with the number of games at the Saddledome coming up.
It’s been a crazy run of dominance on home ice as the Flames have run up four straight wins with a combined score total of 19-2.
Making the Saddledome a scary place to play is key in turning this very surprising season into a season to remember in the second half.
Tkachuk Continues to Roll
Backlund had the four point night, but don’t overlook the night had by Matthew Tkachuk.
He has a three point night of his own including a great give and go with Johnny Gaudreau in the first, and then a between the legs goal in the third.
The telecast went through his between the legs goals in his career; he’s had a few of them, but somehow failed to show the one against the Rangers earlier this year.
What a roll this player and his line are on.
Special Teams
The Flames went 5.5 games without a powerplay goal and were routinely bested in special teams for the last two weeks … but that didn’t stop them from winning games, as they took home five of six.
Tonight they get the edge though, going 1/2 on the powerplay with an even strength goal by Backlund coming just seconds after the failed powerplay expired.
The Knights were 0/2 on their two chances.
Standings and Record
Things are starting to open up a bit in the west when it comes to the standings.
By points the Flames are still a wild card team with 54 points in 43 games on a 24-13-6 record and a .628 win percentage. They do have a bit of a bulge now however, with a four point gap on the next closest team, the Stars and with a game in hand.
In the division they trail the 3rd place Ducks by a point with five games in hand, and the 2nd place Kings by a points with four games in hand so it would seem only a matter of time before they move into 2nd in the division and set their sights on the Knights.
The Oilers losing both of their games after the all star break are now five points back of the Flames, with Calgary having a game in hand.
In the conference the Flames have the 5th best win percentage and have moved past Vegas.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 33 / Knights 28
Face Offs: Flames 55% / Knights 45%
Powerplay: Flames 1-2 / Knights 0-2
Fancy Stats
It’s been unreal how the Flames seem to defy the logic of score effects and just keep piling on when they build up a lead. Tonight there were off to that 3-0 lead but didn’t take their foot off the gas as they pretty much ran Vegas out of their rink. Five on five the Flames had 57% of the shot attempts with period splits of 64%/52% and 56% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 60%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 62%, with a 13-8 split.
In all situations the Flames had 57% of the shot attempts, 52% of the expected goals, and 56% of the high danger splits.
Individually, the Flames were led by Noah Hanifin with a 77% split of five on five shot attempts on the night. Two other players were in the 70s including; Matthew Tkachuk and Rasmus Andersson. Elias Lindholm was just short with 69% on the night. Only 4 players were under water … Trevor Lewis, Nikita Zadorov, Erik Gudbranson and Dillon Dube.
