The just keep rolling and rolling.
Tonight the Tyler Toffoli infused Calgary Flames stretched their win streak to seven games with another impressive win, this time 6-2 over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Toffoli for his part, was noticeable all night and scored in the third before T-Y-L-E-R T-O-F-F-O-L-I chants rained down from the 50% crowd.
Columbus hung around in the first period before the Flames took the game away with their play in the second and third.
That moves the Flames current homestand to 4-0-0 with a game tomorrow night against Anaheim.
The Lineup
One really big change, and one what would have been a big change had their not been that very clear really big change.
You get what I’m putting down?
Tyler Toffoli added in a mid season trade is pretty interesting as a lineup change for the Calgary Flames. Logic and line rushes suggest the team leave the top six alone for now, and insert him in Brett Ritchie’s spot on the third line with his former junior roommate Sean Monahan and winger Dillon Dube. If the huge uptick in skill can get that line going the Flames will have a pretty formidable top nine.
That leaves Elias Lindholm with Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau, Mikael Backlund with Blake Coleman and Andrew Mangiapane, and Adam Ruzicka with Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis.
On the blueline no change at all; Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington with Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov with Erik Gudbranson.
The other would have been big change is in goal with Dan Vladar making his first start since early December. Looking at the stats, Vladar has a slightly negative goals saved above average of -0.5, which certainly isn’t hurting the team, but it would be nice to see him get back to what we saw in October and November.
Line Metrics
xGF%
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk 63.3%
Mangiapane – Backlund – Coleman 63.4%
Dube – Monahan – Toffoli NA
Lucic – Ruzicka- Lewis 47.7%
Hanifin – Andersson 57.8%
Kylington – Tanev 59.0%
Zadorov – Gudbranson 58.4%
Goals Saved + Avg
Vladar -0.5
Who They Playing?
The Jackets have the league’s 21st ranked five on five CF% with the 16th best five on five offence and the 28th best five on five defense. They bleed chances so their overall xGF% is even worse at 27th spot with the 19th best xGF60 and the league worst xGA60.
If the Flames are on their toes they could feast.
They do have the NHL’s 8th ranked team shooting percentage five on five, so they can convert. They are 29th in team save percentage when at even strength.
Their powerplay is ranked 23rd, and their penalty kill is 15th.
Toffoli Watch
Not a bad start.
His third period goal was pretty damn epic with his right skate slalom ski protect the puck as you come in and tuck it around the goaltender goal. Couldn’t ask for a better highlight reel goal to start your tenure in a new sweater.
But the biggest thing to me is how relevant that line was with the upgrade on the right side.
Sean Monahan looked more like himself, skating maybe better than we’ve seen, and distributing the puck including a self pass to himself that had him juggling.
If Toffoli can make that third line hum the Flames are going to be a very dangerous hockey team.
The night ended with three occasions of TYLER TOFFOLI chants from the crowd; had to make him feel at home.
Zadorov and Offence?
Just can’t believe the change in Nikita Zadorov in the last dozen games.
He’s literally battling Oliver Kylington and Rasmus Andersson for the most active defenseman on the team, something that completely contradicts his into the season scouting report that had him as a solid danger preventing defensive defenseman with a blackhole in his offence.
Darryl Sutter probably gets a bunch of credit but don’t over look the impact of Ryan Huska, who built a little defender factory in Kelowna in his WHL days, and helped develop Andersson in the AHL.
Vladar Start
Only 20 shots on goal and two against but a solid night for the Flames backup.
Should be enough to take the jitters out of the coaching staff in getting him more starts.
He wasn’t forced to be a leading force in the game, but did what he needed to do to allow his team to exit the evenly played first up a goal and launch them to a win.
Ruzicka Solid
His goal was a bit of a whiff from Merzlikins, but to me his play in the trenches really stood out.
He’s becoming a Sutter player.
Body angle on defending … sorry bad word in the Sutter era … checking, he doesn’t get beat to the dangerous areas by either being a step behind or out of body position.
His four goals and seven points are a boost, but his overall play is buying him more time to develop.
Roster
Fun isn’t it?
You add Tyler Toffoli to your third line as an upgrade on Brett Ritchie.
Three weeks ago Ruzicka steps in and pushes out Brad Richardson.
The third pairing starts to level up and become an effective third second pairing on the team.
The second line turns play driving into actual offence and starts fueling wins.
Add in a great run from Jacob Markstrom that got him player of the week and you have a pretty solid gelling of a hockey team before for our eyes.
Honestly some of the most dominant hockey I’ve seen in the 42 years watching this team.
Glad they loaded up to go for it.
Sarich Improving
Back in November I played in the Hockey Helps the Homeless tournament and was treated to a dinner panel of Mike Rogers hosting ex Flames Cory Sarich and Dana Murzyn.
Both guys were cutting and electric.
On TV though we’ve seen a very nervous Sarich for years, not the guy I saw without the cameras.
Tonight though he was a little more laid back and himself. Not sure if the failed mic helped or it’s just time, but there’s a pretty entertaining guy in there if he continues to get his legs.
Lindholm Takes His Turn
In January the top line went off, and it was all about Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk.
Out of the limelight was Elias Lindholm who was busy doing the support work on a high octane line where often he didn’t end up on the score sheet.
Lately though things have been balancing out. Tonight he scored in his fourth straight game … true he got a bounce as a Columbus defenseman put it in his own net. But overall a three point night to lead the Flames with the fortuitous goal and two helpers.
Not sure he’s an elite number once center but he’s a number one center and a likely Selke finalist.
Defense Balance
The emergence of the Flames third pairing in the last month has been pretty remarkable.
Tonight you could see it in the stats.
Number one in ice time was Rasmus Andersson with 20:39. Last in ice time was Oliver Kylington with 18:12. The third pairing averaged 20 minutes between them.
Rolling four lines is a goal in the league, and certainly something desired by Darryl Sutter, but you don’t see many teams roll three defense pairings.
The Flames did tonight.
Special Teams
Neither team score a powerplay goal, but the Flames get the edge for two reasons.
Most clearly they scored a short handed goal, but additionally they generated a boatload of second period momentum with their powerplay, something that helped them turn a tight contest into a walk in the third.
Standings and Record
The Flames are now the first place team in the Pacific no matter how you look at it.
For the last week they’ve been the better team by points percentage, but tonight they passed Vegas in out right points with two games in hand.
They have a seven point lead on the team just outside the playoff picture with even games played (Oilers) and are now 3rd in the conference, passing the St. Louis Blues.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 40 / Jackets 21
Face Offs: Flames 50% / Jackets 50%
Powerplay: Flames 0-2 / Jackets 0-1
Fancy Stats
The Flames had a quiet start, but about five minutes into the second period the Flames hit pushed the pedal to the floor and took the Jackets out of the game for good. Five on five the Flames had 56% of the shot attempts with period splits of 45%/70% and 64% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 71%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 70%, with a 16-7 split.
In all situations the Flames had 61% of the shot attempts, 66% of the expected goals, and 71% of the high danger splits. Total dominance in the end.
Individually the Flames were led by Elias Lindolm and Matthew Tkachuk with matching 71% of the five on five shot attempts when on the ice. Six players were in the 60s including; Johnny Gaudreau, Noah Hanifin, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson, Andrew Mangiapane, and Michael Backlund. Only four players were under water; the fourth line and Erik Gudbranson.
