Pretty ironic start to this new chapter in Flames history.
Last year, the Flames controlled the play more often than not, out shot their opposition and often out chanced them. But they missed the playoffs due to an inability to finish (and generate the blue chip chances), and stop enough pucks to collect their spoils.
Tonight they flipped the script …
Completely outplayed, relied on their goaltender (got the big save) and had timely scoring and opportunistic finish in turning back the Winnipeg Jets 5-3 on opening night.
Guess that’s why they play the games.
The Lineup
Was an interesting training camp in how Ryan Huska rolled out lines and then changed them up for the opener.
We saw Jonathan Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm with Yegor Sharangovich to start the preseason, then with Andrew Mangiapane to finish the preseason, but tonight to start the season it was Dillon Dube with the duo, at least to start the game. Other lines included the reunited Mikael Backlund line with Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman, Nazkem Kadri with Sharangovish and Matthew Coronato, and a fourth line of Adam Ruzicka with AJ Greer and Walker Duehr.
On the blueline Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson, Nikita Zadorov with Mackenzie Weegar, and newcomer Jordan Oesterle with Chris Tanev.
Jacob Markstrom with the start in goal.
Line Metrics Coming In
xGF%
Huberdeau – Lindholm – Dube NA
Mangiapane – Backlund – Coleman NA
Sarangovich – Kadri – Coronato NA
Greer – Ruzicka – Duehr NA
Hanifin – Andersson NA
Zadorov – Weegar NA
Oesterle – Tanev NA
Goals Saved + Avg
Markstrom NA
Vladar NA
Trend Tracker:
All about the team in this one, and their brutal history with season openers.
The Flames lost 12 straight season openers before catching a tired Avalanche team last year (they raised a banner and handed out rings the night before) and walking with a lopsided victory.
So this was always going to be about getting on a positive streak and posting back to back season openers.
With the win they do exactly that, posting their second straight season opener, and their 6th win in their last seven home openers.
Markstrom’s Start
First off he stopped the first shot! That has to be harbinger for good things this season right?
But in all seriousness he was the difference in the first period as the Flames were the weaker of the two teams and likely should have been down two instead of up one after 20 minutes.
I’m sure Markstrom would like to have the Kyle Connor shot back, but the guy can shoot, and it was through Oesterle’s legs.
By the stats the first period was a 2.1 to 0.9 expected goals for the Jets.
And honestly that trend never stopped.
Markstrom, the Flames best player on the night.
New Look Flames
The Flames are bigger.
And deeper.
With a better, bigger and faster fourth line there is more consistency through the forward ranks.
With the insertion of two wingers for one (Toffoli out, and Sharangovich and Coronato in) they have a top nine that brings an interesting offensive element from all three trios. The Backlund line, reunited, is a given, but the other top two lines seem to have some pop as well.
The biggest issue to me is defenseman number six; not sure Oesterle is the answer.
Greer and the Fourth Line
Great start for AJ Greer with his first shift seeing the winger sent in all alone on a somewhat fortunate pass from Adam Ruzicka.
Didn’t score, but later provided the screen on the Mackenzie Weegar goal.
Seems to see the ice well and make the simple play. Nothing flashy but a solid upgrade to the fourth line.
Coronato As More Than A Novelty
Thought he was a little tight to start, but settled in.
Had a great chance on the Flames first powerplay but couldn’t navigate the Jonathan Huberdeau pass into the net past the post and the goaltender’s pad.
Then just solid the rest of the way … the puck just follows him. A couple of shots on another powerplay, a good setup for Nazem Kadri in the third.
Good things just happen when he’s on the ice.
The Big Three
Clearly the focus for the season was on the big three, trying to comeback from iffy seasons.
Markstrom, as covered above, was clearly the team’s best player on the night, but it was a pretty solid night for the other two; Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri as well.
Huberdeau picked up two helpers in the final 90 seconds of the game to secure the win, and Kadri with Sarangovich and Coronato were the team’s most consistent offensive trio on the night.
Odds and Sods
Interested in the Flames defense pairs. Do you go with Chris Tanev to elevate the third pair, or build two elite top pairings and give them more ice? An argument can be made both ways, but I think I prefer the latter. … Didn’t feel like a great night for Noah Hanifin. A few give aways, some missed passes, and an overall disjointed night. I’m a Hanifin fan overall, but tonight wasn’t his best game in Calgary colours. … Always interesting to have a new coach behind the bench and see how he manages games. Not a lot of change to the lineup through the game, save for swapping Dillon Dube and Andrew Mangiapane in the third period. … Calgary just dreadful in their own zone tonight. Blown coverage, turnovers, completely disconnected. They’ll need to tighten that up a bunch if they want to get off to a good start. It’s early, right?
Special Teams
The Jets with four powerplays on the night certainly had their chances.
Jacob Markstrom and some solid bounces were the difference though with the Flames scoring the game’s only two special teams goals with a Mangiapane powerplay goal in the first, and an Andersson shorthanded goal in the second period.
Calgary perfect on the kill, scored on the powerplay, and win the special teams on the night.
Standings and Record
Flames tied for first in the West.
Oilers tied for last in the West.
Dream start secured.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 22 Jets 37
Face Offs: Flames 61% / Jets 39%
Powerplay: Flames 1-3 / Jets 0-4
Fancy Stats
If you don’t like a murder scene look away. Five on five the Flames had 34% of the shot attempts with period splits of 41%/18% and 37% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 18%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 25%, with a 5-15 split.
In all situations the Flames had 35% of the shot attempts, 43% of the expected goals, and 36% of the high danger splits. The all situations expected goal totals came out at 3.77 to 5.08.
Individually the Flames were led by Andrew Mangiapane, posting an xGF% of 53% on the night five on five. He was the only positive player. Blake Coleman, Walker Duehr, and Elias Lindholm were in the 30s, which was good in a relative sense to their teammates. Nazem Kadri was at the bottom with 5% on the night. Yikes!
