The puck drops on a Calgary C of Red attended playoff game for the first time since that disappointing game five against the Colorado Avalanche in 2019, on a very good note.
The Flames came out hard and pushed the Stars onto their heels, running up a 9-0 lead in shots, and scoring what turned out to be the game winner on a powerplay with Elias Lindholm lighting the lamp.
From there the game ground into a very low event game, with the Flames literally giving up nothing in battling their way to a 1-0 win to take an identical 1-0 lead in their best of seven series against the Dallas Stars.
If you’re a Dallas fan you like the fact they hung in and didn’t get blown out.
If you’re a Flames fan you like the fact your team is up 1-0 in games despite the top line not having a whole lot going on five on five.
Game two goes Thursday night.
Good start!
The Lineup
The Flames are going with the lineup they iced in Minnesota on Thursday night.
The top three lines have pretty much been in cement for the last three to four weeks, with some change on the fourth line.
Expect to see Elias Lindholm with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund with Andrew Mangiapane and Tyler Toffoli, Calle Jarnkrok between Blake Coleman and Dillon Dube, and Trevor Lewis centering Milan Lucic and Brett Ritchie.
On the blueline it’s the expected six, with Erik Gudbranson coming back in after taking a pass on the final regular season game in Winnipeg. So it’s Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington with Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov with Gudbranson.
Jacob Markstrom gets the start in the nets.
Regular Season Line Metrics
xGF%
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk 62.2%
Mangiapane – Backlund – Tofoli 45.0%
Dube – Jarnkrok – Coleman 42.0%
Lucic – Lewis – Ritchie 41.7%
Hanifin – Andersson 56.8%
Kylington – Tanev 57.4%
Zadorov – Gudbranson 56.8%
Goals Saved + Avg
Markstrom +10.8
Stars & Flames: Last 10 Regular Season Games
In the last 10 regular season games the Dallas Stars were ranked 14th in win percentage at 0.60. They had the 21st ranked CF%, and the 22nd ranked xGF%. They weren’t exactly setting the world on fire. They had the 32nd ranked team five on five shooting percentage and the 7th best team save percentage.
The Stars on the season had the 11th best powerplay (just behind the Flames), and the 19th ranked penalty kill.
The Flames finished the season with the 7th ranked win percentage at 0.700. They had the 6th ranked CF%, and the 25th ranked xGF% (stinky). Their team shooting percentage was ranked 8th, and their team save percentage was 17th.
The Flames powerplay was ranked 10th, and their penalty kill was ranked 56th.
The Start
With the Flames having lost five of their last seven home games in the playoffs, you could forgive the city and crowd for being a little tense heading into this one.
The Flames did a good job of bringing some relief, as they came out very very hard, ran up a 9-0 lead in shots, and scored the go ahead goal on an Elias Lindholm powerplay marker assisted by Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau.
The second half of the period had Dallas settle down to some degree, with Calgary penalty killing playing a key role in keeping the visitors at bay.
The stats add up gave the Stars three high danger chances in the first period, but honestly I can’t remember a one.
Hockey is a 60 minute game, and you can’t win a game in 20 minutes, but you can certainly lose it. The Flames had none of that to start the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Tkachuk Stirring the Drink
What a player.
Sets up Lindholm for the first period powerplay goal, and runs roughshod over the Stars with about six big hits in the first period.
His last one on Klingberg, led to a fight with Raffl as Raffl hooked Tkachuk down as he came out from behind the net.
Late in the third he ragged the final 30 seconds behind the Dallas’ net putting the game away.
Players like Matthew Tkachuk are important in dragging their teams into battle, with the playoffs and a whole other level of intensity, he was ready to take his game to the next level as well.
Dube Playoff Mode
Almost unfair to point out Dillon Dube as upping his game as he’s scored eight goals in the last nine regular season games.
But thought he was excellent again tonight, both on the attack, playing physical and killing penalties.
So important to add that middle six to the mix, and Dube as I’ve said often of late, has added to that next wave.
Blake Coleman As Advertised
What a game of ups and downs for Blake Coleman … all on the gritty, playoff beast mode as advertised.
He takes a head shot in the first, goes to the quiet room.
Takes a head shot in the second, goes to the quiet room.
Scores a goal that’s called back because he takes a penalty with a cross check on Heiskenen. If the Dallas player doesn’t fall on the contact is it a penalty and a goal called back?
Honestly don’t think so.
Discipline
Don’t think Darryl Sutter will be very happy with the five penalties taken by the Flames.
It’s certainly a trend from night one as he pointed out, and the Stars took five penalties as well, but it’s sure to be a focus between games in cutting down the time short handed.
Luckily the Flames penalty kill was elite and silenced the Stars on all five chances.
Targeting Heiskenen
The Flames were clearly going out of their way to target and finish checks on the Miro Heiskenen throughout the night.
Heiskenen is a key player on the Dallas attack, and their best defenseman … he was a huge factor in beating the Flames in 2020 in the bubble playoffs.
Wearing him down through a series is certainly a solid idea, and one that Sutter clearly had top of mind.
Hits from Tkachuk, Dube, Lucic, etc were all clearly planned and executed.
Markstrom Doughnut
He went months trying to get that tenth shutout but just never got it done … a few interesting stories including a referee deflection against the Oilers but it wasn’t meant to be.
Guessing he could care less, as he shuts out the Stars in game one of their playoff series.
The Flames and Stars played a low event game, just seven high danger chances both ways in all situations, but Markstrom did what he had to do.
Said earlier today on the site that the Flames best statistical series in this era was against the Ducks in 2017 when they were swept. They had zero goaltending. Tonight they had a goaltender with a zero.
Didn’t Generate Much
If you’re going to pick on a win, or create a cause of concern it’s the offence from the Flames.
They didn’t give up much, just 16 shots on goal in the contest, but they didn’t get a whole lot going themselves five on five in the other end either.
The Flames have out chanced teams all season, but tonight it was pretty quiet.
The top line was especially quiet.
That has to change.
Special Teams
This game was won on the backs of Calgary special teams.
They score the powerplay goal in the first period, and then completely dominate the Dallas powerplay while short giving them literally nothing.
The Flames penalty kill was unreal all year, ranked 6th overall, but they ramped up another notch and made it impossible for the Stars to get setup and do anything with the man advantage.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 26 Stars 16
Face Offs: Flames 56% / Stars 44%
Powerplay: Flames 1-5 / Stars 0-5
Fancy Stats
On the defensive side of the puck the Flames had their “A” game, giving the Stars absolutely nothing. Offensively, they didn’t get a whole lot done themselves. Most NHL games feature about 8-9 high danger chances apiece five on five, and around 12 per team in all situations. Tonight the two teams combined for six five on five (even at 3-3). That’s a defense first hockey game. Five on five the Flames had 58% of the shot attempts with period splits of 77%/59% and 41% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 53%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 50%, with a 3-3 split.
In all situations the Flames had 58% of the shot attempts, 54% of the expected goals, and 44% of the high danger splits.
Individually, the Flames were led by Rasmus Andersson with his 20 minutes of duty and an impenetrable 100% in xGF% on the night. Milan Lucic and Brett Ritchie were both in the 80s, Blake Coleman, Trevor Lewis and Oliver Kylington were in the 70s. Four players were way under water; Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau, Nikita Zadorov and Matthew Tkachuk.
