The Flames were lucky to be in the game through 40 minutes.
They spent way too much time in their own zone, couldn’t complete a pass, and were literally hanging on. If they had an opponent other than an expansion team, post deadline, with limited offensive skill they would have been run out of their own bard.
The third period comes along, however, and the Flames score four straight goals to win the game 5-3 and pretty much lock down the division with the Oilers losing in Minnesota.
Johnny Gaudreau, for his part, got the two game monkey off his back with his 100th point on the season, and Matthew Tkachuk had a hat trick in the contest.
Next up Vegas on Thursday night.
The Lineup
Well Calle Jarnkrok is finally back! That’s the big news beside the fact that Jacob Markstrom is starting his second straight game against the Kraken despite the season winding down and Sutter eyeing minute totals.
Up front it’s Elias Lindholm with Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau, Mikael Backlund with Andrew Mangiapane and Tyler Toffoli, Jarnkrock back with Dillon Dube and Blake Coleman, and a fourth line of Trevor Lewis with Milan Lucic and Brett Ritchie.
On the blueline it appears both of Oliver Kylington and Erik Gudbranson are close, but neither are expected to dress. So that should mean the same look we saw against Seattle on Saturday night; Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson, Connor Mackey with Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov with Michael “Ovie” Stone.
Bit of a surprise to see Jacob Markstrom with the start as I said.
Line Metrics
xGF%
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk 63.2%
Mangiapane – Backlund – Toffoli 52.1%
Dube – Jarnkrok – Coleman 40.0%
Lucic – Lewis – Ritchie 67.9%
Hanifin – Andersson 58.4%
Mackey – Tanev 50.0%
Zadorov – Stone 55.6%
Goals Saved + Avg
Markstrom +12.9
Kraken & Flames: Last 10 games
In the last ten games the Kraken are 20th in points percentage. They have the 7th ranked CF% built on the 13th best CF60 and the 9th best CA60. They tumble on quality though with the 17th ranked xGF%, the 17th ranked xGF60, and the 15th best xGA60. Five on five they have the 17th ranked team shooting percentage and the 2nd best team save percentage; they’re starting to get some saves.
The Flames in the last ten games have the 11th best points percentage, the 3rd best CF%, 2nd ranked CF60, 4th best CA60, xGF% at 7th, xGF60 at 4th, xGA60 at 13th … they’re giving up too much quality. Their shooting percentage is 9th in the last 10 games, and their save percentage is 9th as well.
Flat as a Pancake
Through 40 minutes that one was ugly. Ugly. I mean it … ugly.
The Flames, against an expansion team were caught in their own zone numerous times in the first two periods, and looked like Rocky just hanging on to the ropes.
The game would have been long over if they were playing a team that could convert zone time into scoring chances. They really can’t, and didn’t, and with that the Flames survived the territorial domination to right the ship in the third period.
But man that was a mess.
Hanifin Getting Pucks Through
Noah Hanifin with a goal and an assist tonight, coming off the heels of a four assist night in Seattle on Saturday night.
Hanifin with six points in 120 minutes? That’s crazy.
A rip like that comes from some good bounces but it’s not as simple as that. He’s a better hockey player in the last two seasons and especially this season.
He gets pucks through, that’s a huge part of it … we see it often creating tips, and rebounds if the puck doesn’t go in directly. Additionally he sees the ice better than he has, something that can be seen in some of his neutral zone plays tonight where he found the forward coming out of the zone on transition instead of just making the simple neutral zone backhand pass D to D.
To think they almost traded this guy.
Great trade, great signing, great player.
Fourth Line a Mess
Tough night for that make shift fourth line that featured the returning Calle Jarnkrock along with Milan Lucic and Brett Ritchie.
Jarnkrock was rusty, and in playing fourth line wingers there just wasn’t that layer of coverage and support to get pucks out and deep, avoiding chaos.
All three players were -2 on the night and it could have been worse.
Johnny Hits 100
Finally.
And with his parents in the crowd too.
You could tell it was weighing on Johnny Gaudreau; he was pointless in Seattle on Saturday night, and again through 40 minutes tonight before the game changed on a dime in the third period.
Gaudreau slides the puck over to Matthew Tkachuk who attempts a pass cross crease to Elias Lindholm, has it blocked and then buries the free puck for his second of the game, giving Gaudreau the milestone assist.
He added another one on the empty net goal to get to 101.
For a guy that grew up with the Flames moving to Calgary and dominating the 80s along with the Oilers, it’s pretty special to his name in the company of those names.
Special season.
The Other Guy Too
Don’t look now but here comes the second guy to that huge milestone.
A lot of focus on Gaudreau and his milestone but with Matthew Tkachuk and his hat trick tonight he moved from 89 points to 92 on the season, and now only needs 8 points in the last 9 games to hit that mark himself.
Tkachuk scores in the first on a great tip, buries the Gaudreau 100 points goal to get the comeback rolling and then hits the empty net to cinch things.
Markstrom’s Night
The Flames were awful, but Markstrom didn’t have the best of nights on his own.
The Kraken carried the play and dummied the Flames on numerous occasions but the first and third goals are likely ones he’d like to have back.
Sutter after the game, suggested the move to Dan Vladar was about getting the team going, but it has the added bonus of taking 20 minutes away from Markstrom towards that magic total that Sutter is keeping an eye on.
Bottom line you can’t hide the genuine smile and disposition the starter had when he came off the bench to congratulate his backup. Great team guy.
Spittle
And speaking of Vladar … that was quite the moment at the end there when the camera focused on his magic loogie hanging off the chin of his mask and just refusing to break … and still not breaking … hanging in there … not breaking. Well done!
In all seriousness, that’s the second time this season he’s made some big saves coming in in relief to help his team complete an improbably comeback. Seven third period saves include one on a partial break, and another Benier save on a one timer on a powerplay.
Just Tuning In …
Had to chuckle at how things turned out for the average Edmontonian.
Rick Ball announced the coverage from Edmonton joining the Calgary telecast just before the third period. The Oilers had just lost to Minnesota but for the Oiler fan tuning in to watch the end of Calgary chocking against Seattle might salvage pare of their night.
Instead the Flames come back and win the game, with … Matthew Tkachuk getting the hat trick with two third period goals.
Ouch.
Special Teams
The Flames easily win the special teams battle in this one scoring two powerplay goals on five chances and blanking the Kraken on their two chances.
The four on three powerplay that resulted in Gaudreau’s 100th point completely changed the momentum of the game and pretty much secured the win.
Special teams getting it done.
Standings and Record
The win gives the Flames a nine point lead at the top of the Pacific, with the magic number slipping from 6 to 4 over the Oilers. They still have a game in hand.
Lets face it … that’s over.
The Flames have won five in a row and now have a 15 point lead on the final playoff spot.
They can clinch a playoff spot tomorrow night with some help on the out of town scoreboard.
Quite the season.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 31 Kraken 22
Face Offs: Flames 58% / Kraken 42%
Powerplay: Flames 2-5 / Kraken 0-2
Fancy Stats
The underlying stats in this one are deservedly terrible for the Flames, as they were on their heels and skating in sand through the first 40 minutes. Five on five the Flames had 50% of the shot attempts with period splits of 55%/40% and 56% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 42%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 37%, with a 7-12 split.
In all situations the Flames had 59% of the shot attempts, 58% of the expected goals, and 54% of the high danger splits. Carried by the powerplay.
Individually the Flames were led by Elias Lindholm with an xGF% of 64% five on five on the night. Johnny Gaudreau was just behind him with 61%. Connor Mackey and Trevor Lewis also had solid nights. Mikael Backlund was a shaky 9% in xGF% to play caboose.
