You can’t win 80 games if you don’t win the first one.
That quote from Kent Nilsson when the Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks in Vancouver to start a season 40 or so years ago.
Now it’s 82 games, but the quote still fits, especially for a team that has grown accustomed to dropping the first game on the slate each and every year in the past dozen seasons.
A ten game win streak is a tough feat, but so too is a ten game losing streak. Generally things even out, but in this case it seemed like a badge of honour for the Flames to drop the first game over every season.
Tonight they surrendered the first goal, but then poured it on for the first half of the game and built a comfortable 5-1 lead before letting the Avalanche crawl back into it and make it a 5-3 final.
The 1-0-0 Flames travel to Edmonton to take on the Oilers on Saturday night.
The Lineup
Very little intrigue for the Flames lineup for game one, as coach Sutter has had them practicing in the same configuration all week.
Jacob Markstrom missed practice yesterday with an illness, but was back on the ice for the pregame skate this morning and tended the starter’s cage.
So look for Elias Lindholm to center Johnathan Huberdeau (that still seems odd) and Tyler Toffoli on the club’s new top line. A second line of Nazem Kadri with Andrew Mangiapane and Dillon Dube. The third line of Mikael Backlund with Blake Coleman and Trevor Lewis, and finally Kevin Rooney between Milan Lucic and Brett Ritchie.
On the blueline it’s Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson, Mackenzie Weegar with Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov with Michael Stone.
As I said Markstrom gets the start in goal.
Line Metrics
xGF%
Huberdeau – Lindholm – Toffoli NA%
Mangiapane – Kadri – Dube NA%
Coleman – Backlund – Lewis NA%
Lucic – Rooney – Ritchie NA%
Hanifin – Andersson NA%
Weegar – Tanev NA%
Zadorov – Stone NA%
Goals Saved + Avg
Vladar NA
Backlund the Only Milestone
With the start of a new season, what better time than to have a look at the old all time list and see if players are coming up on any big milestones.
Yet when you look into it this season there just isn’t that much to watch other than Mikael Backlund with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau playing elsewhere.
Tonight Mikael Backlund played his 827th game moving him into a tie with Robyn Regehr for third all time in games played behind only Jarome Iginla and Mark Giordano.
Backlund only needs one goal to catch Joel Otto for 12th all time, he’ll need a 24 goal season to get into the top ten. For assists Backlund is 10th, 10 behind Sean Monahan.
Oh and Johnathan Huberdeau only needs two points to catch David Hale, Ben Street and Lynn Loyns!
Dube and Mason
Is that a feud?
Now it is!
Coincidental minors to start the game and then three straight big hits by Manson on Dillon Dube in the first period alone.
From a Calgary perspective, y0u have to like it, as it’s Dube pushing the play and embracing that top six role to start the season.
Great Start
Sure the Avalanche scored the first goal on an odd play finished by Bowen Byram, but the Flames were solid before and after the Avalanche goal.
Final tally in the first period had the Flames up 14-3 in shots with the only two powerplays, with a 92% expected goal split five on five in the first period.
The Flames had all four lines rolling, and found the net when a Mackenzie Weegar shot was tipped wide, corralled by Milan Lucic and then centered to Brett Ritchie for the tying goal.
Not a flat start at all for the Flames for a home opener.
Markstrom Opener
One shot … one goal.
Imagine starting a season like that? Would suck!
But from there Markstrom was rock solid.
In all fairness the Flames gave up next to nothing but Markstom made the saves needed to help the Flames build on and keep their lead.
Good Start for Top Six
Through camp the Flames were hoping to see a guy like Sonny Milano grab a spot in the top six, which clearly didn’t happen.
Dillon Dube had a solid camp and took the final top six spot pretty much through default.
But if there was a concern heading into the season it was the two right wings being able to keep up with their linemates and make the top two lines potent.
Not a bad start.
Dillon Dube was probably the best player on the ice both in production and in driving the play, and Tyler Toffoli got off to a good start with a powerplay goal.
No worries, at least to start!
Flames End 13 year Jinx
You have to look back to 2009 to find the last time the Flames were 1-0-0 in the standings to start a season.
Like the Honda Center curse, at least we can put that to bed for a few years.
With a big tilt on Saturday against the Oilers it was huge to put the Avalanche aside and not be looking down a potential 0-2-0 start should they lose to their rivals.
Now it’s two Alberta teams off to good starts facing off on a Saturday night.
New Guys Shine
All three new guys got on the board in the win with Johnathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri picking up powerplay assists, and Mackenzie Weegar picking up two assists from the back end.
The Huberdeau pass to Elias Lindholm was pretty slick, giving Calgarians a preview of what’s to come from “the best passer in team history”.
Weegar from the blueline was great all night, clearly boosting the team’s top four on the backend.
Rasmus Driving
I thought Rasmus Andersson stood out as a key piece in the victory.
He had two assists, but was noticeable both five on five and on the powerplay, after being the victim in the Avalanche’ early odd goal.
The Noah Hanifin/Rasmus Andersson pairing had a rough go against the Oilers in the second round last year, so it was good to see them get off to a good start.
Special Teams
Solid night for Calgary special teams as they lit the lamp twice on the powerplay and also added a shorty handed marker to the ledger.
Colorado scored one powerplay goal but were net zero on the night with the Dube goal.
Good start to the season away from five on five play, especially with the club’s special teams looking pretty rough in the preseason.
Standings and Record
Undefeated! First place!
Not used to starts like this. Should hold me over for the next ten years.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 27 Avalanche 25
Face Offs: Flames 59% / Avalanche 41%
Powerplay: Flames 2-5 / Avalanche 1-4
Fancy Stats
The Flames pretty much owned the first half of the game, built a lead and then had score effects tighten both the shot differential and underlying play driving metrics as the Avalanche pressed to get back into it. Five on five the Flames had 53% of the shot attempts with period splits of 88%/38% and 21% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 61%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 57%, with a 8-6 split.
In all situations the Flames had 52% of the shot attempts, 63% of the expected goals, and 50% of the high danger splits.
Individually the Flames were led by Andrew Mangiapane, with an xGF% of 78% five on five on the night. Dillon Dube, Nazem Kadri and Mackenzie Weegar also had nights in the 70s. Chris Tanev, Kevin Rooney, Milan Lucic and Brett Ritchie were in the 60s. Nikita Zadorov and the third line had tough nights with only xGF% in the low 40s.
