The Predators got themselves goalie’d!
Dustin Wolf takes a star turn, posting his first ever NHL shutout in a 2-0 win over the Nashville Predators on Friday night at the Saddledome.
Wolf, who came within a whisker of a shut out in his last start against the Kings, but tonight got it done despite his team being outplayed for the most part all night.
The Flames get a big win in game one of a four game homestand.
Next up the Islanders on Tuesday night.
The Lineup
With the loss in Vancouver, you’d expect change. And there is! A rethink of the top two forward lines, a swap out on the third pairing, and a goalie rotation.
The Martin Pospisil and Yegor Sharangovich auditions at center are being waylaid as Connor Zary switches to the middle and lines up with Jonathan Huberdeau and Sharangovich on the wing. The second line is Nazem Kadri between Pospisil and Andrei Kuzmenko. The third and fourth lines remain the same; Mikael Backlund with Blake Coleman and Matt Coronato, and Kevin Rooney with Justin Kirkland and Ryan Lomberg. Klapka sits.
One the blueline we see Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl. Mackenzie Weegar with Daniil Miromanov. And Jake Bean back in the lineup with Brayden Pachal on the third pairing.
Dustin Wolf gets the start in goal.
Pre Game Stats
For tonight’s game we look at how Ryan Huska is deploying his players against the league’s best.
We discuss zone starts from time to time, but who goes over the boards against elite players more often than not.
Defensemen:
As you’d expect, Huska is leaning heavily on the top two pairings.
% of Ice Against Elite Players:
- Bahl 36.6%
- Andersson 36.5%
- Weegar 35.0
- Miromanov 34.0%
- Pachal 23.7%
- Bean 22.7%
- Barrie 22.3%
- Hanley 9.1%
The key takeaways … four guys carrying the weight, then a pretty even third pairing regardless of who’s in the lineup. Clearly they don’t have a lot of trust in Hanley.
Forwards:
The forwards are pretty much rolled for the most part, with a slight split between lines, but they’re clearly not matching lines.
- Coleman 37.0%
- Zary 36.7%
- Backlund 36.6%
- Honzek 32.6%
- Sharangovich 32.5%
- Kirkland 31.9%
- Kuzmenko 30.9%
- Lomberg 29.5%
- Coronato 29.5%
- Huberdeau 29.2%
- Klapka 29.1%
- Kadri 28.9%
- Pospisil 28.5%
- Rooney 27.8%
- Mantha 26.9%
Coronato will move up the list playing with Coleman and Backlund. Interesting that Kadri so far down the list. Thought he was a two way guy?
2024 Draft Class
Quick update on the 2024 draft class.
Round 1 – Zayne Parekh has gotten over his slow start and now has 18 points in 16 games. Starting to trend back to last year’s numbers.
Round 1 – Matvei Gridin has found his legs in the Q and has 18 points in 18 games.
Round 2 – Andrew Basha continues to roll; now with 20 points in 17 games.
Round 2 – Jacob Battaglia with 28 points in 20 games. He’s slowed down but still putting up a huge season.
Round 3 – Henry Mews with 18 points in 17 games.
Round 4 – Trevor Hoskin shook off a slow start and now has 12 points in 11 games.
Round 6 – Luke Misa with 19 points in 17 games.
That’s seven players at a point per game or greater, including two defensemen.
Not sure I’ve seen that before!
Wolf’s Start
Can’t beat perfect right?
Dustin Wolf was an inch away from a shut out against the Kings last week, tonight he gets it all the way done posting his first NHL shutout adding to his home ice dominance.
The Predators post an expected goal total of 3.73 in all situations but fail to get a puck past Wolf.
Sure looking more and more likely that this kid might do in the NHL what he’s done in the WHL and AHL. Maybe not league MVP honours, but an upper tier starter?
Odds and Sods
That was some pretty low event kind of hockey in tonight’s first period. The double zeroes were earned as not a whole lot happened. Calgary had one high danger chance the entire period at five on five, Nashville with four. You could call it a goalie battle, but I’m not sure Soros had a whole lot to do. … Three first period powerplays but their could have been 10! Lots of stick in faces. Lots of sticks in hands, the majority of which wasn’t called. … You know your powerplay is sputtering when you gave a two minute five on three and only get one shot on goal, none that were dangerous. They moved the puck around, but they just don’t seem to have that shooter. Wonder if they need to move Coronato out to the point instead of Sharangovich. The latter can’t get pucks through right now. … Calgary with only one measly high danger chance five on five in the second period as well. Just four high danger chances through 40 minutes in all situations. … The changes to the top six didn’t go over all that well, as both units spent a lot of time in their own zone. The Kadri line was especially poor with expected goal spits in the 20s. … Finally with about 10 minutes left we see some action as the entertainment level dials up. Calgary scores the game winner, but some Wolf saves, a Nashville powerplay. Things got interesting.
Fancy Stats
Calgary was on the wrong side of this one. Was it a goalie steal? You could certainly make that argument when you dig into the play driving stats. The Flames, five on five, had 48% (45%/61%/38%) of the shot attempts, 33% of the high danger chances, and 39% of the expected goals. In all situations they had 52% of the shot attempts, 35% of the high danger chances and 47% of the expected goals.
Individually, the Flames were led by Blake Coleman with an xGF% of 81%. Only four other players were above the break even mark; Matt Coronato and Mikael Backlund in the 60s and Mackenzie Weegar and Daniil Miromanov in the 50s. Four players under 25% on the night; Jonathan Huberdeau, Martin Pospisil, Nazem Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich.
