Take the point.
The Flames had a boatload of jam for a team that didn’t have a practice and had nine days off between games. They brought it both in terms of territorial play, and culture setting up three different fighting majors with come to the rescue of a teammate plays.
Where they weren’t solid though was defensively giving up way too many opportunities and giving the Rangers chance after chance to either go ahead or come back late, finally falling to New York in overtime.
For Markstrom, pretty much the same old story … no ugly goals per say, but five against vs a 3.5 night in expected goals says the Flames lost the goaltending battle again.
The point keeps the team plugging in the standings with three more road games on this trip; Detroit, Buffalo and Ottawa.
The Lineup
Coming out of an all star break there was certainly some uncertainty with the lineup.
Would Chris Tanev be fully recovered from his injury that had him miss two games before the break? Would Jakob Pelletier be recalled after being demoted for the all star break? And if so, would he be back on the second line or in a more pedestrian role? Would Brett Ritchie, likely now recovered, be back in the lineup at the expense of say Adam Ruzicka?
The responses to all of these questions are likely what the average fan would wish to hear; Tanev is back (likely not 100%), Pelletier has been recalled and back on the second line, and Ruzicka is still in the lineup with Ritchie watching.
So that means Elias Lindholm with Dillon Dube and Tyler Toffoli, Nazem Kadri with Jonathan Huberdeau and Pelletier, Mikael Backlund with Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman, and Ruzicka with Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis.
On the blueline the Flames are back to their regular top four with Noah Hanifin lining up with Rasmus Andersson, Mackenzie Weegar with Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov with Michael Stone.
Jacob Markstrom begins his post all star section of the season hoping to put a string of results together; goaltending and goal support.
Line Metrics
xGF%
Dube – Lindholm – Toffoli 49.5%
Pelletier – Kadri – Lucic 82.1%
Mangiapane – Backlund – Coleman 68.3%
Lucic – Ruzicka – Lewis 17.8%
Hanifin – Andersson 54.0%
Weegar – Tanev 55.5%
Zadorov – Stone 51.1%
Goals Saved + Avg
Markstrom +1.2
Vladar -2.2
Trend Tracker:
The Flames have had a top 5-7 penalty kill for most of the season, but especially in the last 20 games where they’ve continued to climb up the leaderboard, but who leads the team in minutes and effectiveness?
One the blueline it’s Chris Tanev leading the way with 2:59 / game on the kill. Nikita Zadorov and Rasmus Andersson are around 2:30 and Noah Hanifin is 2:15. In terms of xGA60 short Mackenzie Weeger; the 5th most used defenseman in the top spot at 5.77 xga60, ahead of Tanev, then Zadorov and Hanifin. Andersson is back a tough.
Up front Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund are pair #1, Trevor Lewis and Blake Coleman about 35-40 seconds less, then Dillon Dube and Andrew Mangiapane picking up the rest. Some spot duty from Tyler Toffoli. Toffoli leads in xGA60 but with limited minutes. But the Dube / Mangiapane pair is well ahead of the rest. Trevor Lewis at the bottom.
But how about goaltending? Dan Vladar is the man shorthanded. He has a GSAA60 of +1.01 to Jacob Markstrom’s -0.65
Tanev Back
The good … Chris Tanev is back!
The bad … he left again.
The worst … he left again after a fighting major coming to the rescue of Dillon Dube who was stood up with an open ice hit from Jacob Trouba.
Yeah not good.
But no! Back on the bench (penalty box) to start the second.
That felt like a season ending (disturbing) moment.
Energized Start
Given the Flames didn’t have a practice, and the Rangers did before tonight’s game, I thought the Flames handled themselves well in the first period.
The team has the 5 on 5 play for the most part, and seemed to have total control of the period before the game went to special teams and scraps the rest of the first 20 minutes.
Avenging Clean Hits
Such a hard call …
In today’s NHL you just can’t engage a guy in a fight that hit one of your teammates cleanly; you get the extra two minutes most of the time.
But then there’s the argument of team bonding, the dressing room, teams coming together … and do you to the same extent if teammates don’t step in? Not a debate I can solve.
The Flames didn’t lose Tanev to a fight on a clearly clean hit, but it sure looked that way at first. Later in the period Sammy Blaise hit Milan Lucic causing the same thing; retaliation and a fight with Calgary once again getting the extra minor.
This time though … it did look like a dirty hit to Blaise live, and with the replay. Shoulder first? Certainly possible, but likely should have left it at 2 minutes.
Second period the same thing with Dillon Dube jumping aft
er Nazem Kadri was targeted by Trouba. Another “rough” hit deemed not to be head contact and the Flames are shorthanded for the third time in the game for avenging teammates.
This time they didn’t get the kill as the Rangers went ahead.
Ruczika With Some Jam
Thought Adam Ruzicka had himself a good but quiet night. Way more right side of the puck play in the offensive zone and he used his size effectively.
In the third period with Dillon Dube still serving his 17 minutes of penalties, and Milan Lucic sputtering to get the puck out on the wing in a few shifts in a row, Adam Ruzicka was promoted to the top line with Toffoli and Lindholm for a shift.
Good to see.
He doesn’t have to goon it up, but use your size and play on the right side of things.
Pays off with opportunity.
Powerplays Mixed Up
Two very different units walked out tonight, and honestly couldn’t tell you which was powerplay one and powerplay two.
My guess at unit one is Huberdeau, Kadri, Pelletier, Mangiapane and Hanifn.
The other unit was Lindholm, Toffoli, Backlund, Dube and Andersson.
Some better balance I suppose. What’s interesting is that it’s essentially the 2nd line with Mangiapane and Hanifin and the first line with Andersson and Backlund.
Seemed to work to some degree with a goal from unit two when Tyler Toffoli sniped one from his favourite spot.
Wild Third
Not what I expected personally.
Calgary down 3-2 to start, score back to back goals by Andrew Mangiapane and Michael Stone to go up 4-3.
Then give up a late one to go to overtime and lose it.
Wild night, entertaining hockey game.
Said This A Hundred Times
I don’t think I’ll ever figure out the NHL’s kicking rule.
Andrew Mangiapane put his blade right into the path of the puck with his foot moving and it’s good.
Blake Coleman is accused of a kicking motion when his other skate was in the air in last year’s playoffs and it wasn’t good.
They need to simplify the rule somehow.
Maybe all directing and kicking is fine if you don’t lift your skate off the ice?
Either way, tonight we’ll take it.
Special Teams
Special teams battle dead even with both teams scoring once on three opportunities; the Flames three times shorthanded of course all on retaliation penalties.
Drilling down the Flames had three high danger chances and gave up none shorthanded. The Rangers had four high danger chances but gave up one shorthanded.
All in all Calgary with a special teams expected goal total of 1.1 to the Rangers .97.
Slight edge to Calgary.
Standings and Record
The point is key.
You’d like two, but getting one against the red hot Rangers keeps them rolling on a road trip with this technically the toughest game.
Calgary moves ahead of Colorado in points with 58 to 57 though the Avalanche have three games in hand.
Almost more importantly it’s a point towards the rest of the Pacific as they are now four points back of the Knights with even games played, five points back of the Kings with two games in hand, and more distant five points back of the Kraken but Seattle has two games in hand.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 32 Rangers 33
Face Offs: Flames 57% / Rangers 43%
Powerplay: Flames 1-3 / Rangers 1-3
Fancy Stats
The same issue for the Flames, as they control the play in terms of possession but bleed high danger chances putting way too much pressure on Jacob Markstrom. Five on five the Flames had 54% of the shot attempts with period splits of 59%/56% and 48% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 40%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 35%, with a 6-11 split.
In all situations the Flames had 52% of the shot attempts, 44% of the expected goals, and 36% of the high danger splits. The all situations expected goal totals came out at 2.74 to 3.52. Flames deserve the one goal loss, but get a point.
Individually the Flames were led by Andrew Mangiapane posting an xGF% of 71% on the night five on five. Blake Coleman was 2nd with 61%, followed by Mikael Backlund and Dillon Dube with solid nights. Five players under 25% on the night including Jakob Pelletier, Milan Lucic, Trevor Lewis, Adam Ruzicka and Elias Lindholm. Yuck.
