In the Chicago/Calgary game story I suggested the Flames should take a page out of Scotty Bowman’s playbook by suggesting the Flames shouldn’t look for a linemate for Monahan and Gaudreau but to build three lines with duos instead of trios. If you have a Monahan/Gaudreau duo on the top line and a Backlund/Frolik duo on the eventual third line then it’s the second line and Sam Bennett who needs a battery mate to take that step forward.
So call it good timing that Micheal Ferland stepped into the fray tonight, finding chemistry with Sam Bennett by assisting on both of Bennett’s two goals on the night to help power the Flames to a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotoes. One game is not a duo make, but a strong final 7 games for Ferland with Bennett could certainly help alleviate some of the summer doldrums from somewhat of a lost season for the big burly winger.
The Flow
All kinds of jump for the Flames, probably due to the injection of what seemed like half of the Stockton Heat for tonight’s game. Now don’t get me wrong, in this case jump isn’t exactly transferable to flash, dash or excitement however. The Flames score the only goal of the period when Ferland pulls the puck off the half wall and centers it to Sam Bennett who has the puck whacked off his stick the second he goes to make a move with it but unassisted the puck slides into the net past Louis Domingue and it’s 1-0 Calgary. The Coyotes hit a cross bar later in the period off a deflection but not a whole lot happened to be honest. Good road period.
The second gets off to a tough start with Emile Poirier tripping Max Domi right off the opening draw setting up a quick Coyote powerplay. The Yotes come up empty on that chance but score on their next two, both by rookie Anthony Duclair to erase the Flames lead and giving the home squad the lead. The Flames with only one shot through 15 minutes looked like they were going to let the period wind down quietly when some good board work from Ferland and Colborne resulted in Sam Bennett notching his second of the night, tying things up. The Flames are given a late powerplay and quickly cash in when Giordano and Hamilton work the puck to the net with Sean Monahan finishing, his 27th of the season. Flames lead 3-2 after two.
The teams trade chances in the first bit of the third, Emile Poirier has a gimme taken away on a cross ice slap pass from Dougie Hamilton when Ekman Larson tips the puck away when a sure goal looked inevitable. Then the Stajan giveaway results in a great chance for Sekac on a break but Ortio is ready to take the bottom half of the net away. The Flames get back to back powerplay opportunities and score on the second one when a neutral ice turnover leads to Shinkaruk taking the puck across the line, dropping the puck to Monahan who finds Brodie whose shot hits a Coyote skate and shuffles past Domingue to make it 4-2 Calgary. The assist was Shinkaruk’s first point as a Flames and of his career. Joe Colborne finishes the scoring with an empty netter to pad his career best marks in goals and points.
Three Stars
1. Sean Monahan: Stepped up big on a night where he didn’t have his magical little sidekick, putting up a goal and two assists to move closer to matching both career best totals from last season.
2. Sam Bennett: Neither goal was pretty, but both gritty as hell as he went to the net and cleaned up garbage on both, now has 17 on the season.
3. Anthony Duclaire: Scores two powerplay goals, the only strikes from the Coyotes on the night.
Big Save
Matt Stajan had Joni Ortio to thank for bailing him out in the third period when Stajan’s brutal backhand giveaway to Jiri Sekac resulted in Sekac walking around a sprawling Kulak only to be stone by a spread eagled Ortio and his left pad.
The Goat
Matt Domingue. The Flame killer has three wins already against Calgary but tonight he fought the puck a bit, only earning 16 saves on 20 shots a very Jonas Hiller appearance.
Mr. Clutch
TJ Brodie. Make amends for his giveaway against Chicago on Saturday night with a goal and a +3 night in Arizona.
Odds and Ends
Just love the irony of Emile Poirier and Hunter Shinkaruk getting recalled together for tonight’s game. So much intrigue when the Flames passed up on local boy Shinkaruk for Quebec product Poirier three years ago at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. From that point on Shinkaruk became a Canuck and with that Calgary fans guiltily wished him poorly in his development curve. Now they get to prove against one another in the same organization who that pick should have been. Poirier lit the AHL afire in both a late season flourish and his rookie season but has sputtered this season. Shinkaruk had an injury plagued first season in the AHL but has put up 26 goals this season. Both get great assignments with NHL scoring lines tonight to prove what they can do. Fun to watch. The Flames really need one of the two to become top six forwards at the NHL level. … Good to see Brett Kulak back as well. The youngster had an amazing Penticton tournament and used the momentum to forge a spot in the opening lineup in Calgary. However with Wotherspoon’s solid play in Calgary and the promotion of Czech Nakladal it’s up to Kulak to prove he’s in the mix for an NHL spot next year. Ideally he does just that putting the impetus on Brad Treliving to clear out some bodies in the bottom half of the blueline roster so some youth can make the jump. … Almost more importantly is the look at Derek Grant down the stretch as he’s a UFA at the end of the season, and the organization’s only invitee to the AHL all star game this season. A two way guy with hands and talent in the face off circle shouldn’t be overlooked. … So how did they do? I had Brett Kulak as the most impressive on the three going into the third, solid in his own zone, good with the puck and full marks for 15 minutes of ice time for the Flames. However, he got passed by Hunter Shinkaruk’s third period turn. I liked his jam on the forecheck and he showed more positively than either Poirier or Grant, but his assist in the third and his running over of Max Domi gives him the nod. All in all, they all had moments, but Shinkaruk made the most of his ice time.
Next Up
The Flames continue their sunbelt road trip with a game in Anaheim on Wednesday night, game time 8pm Sporsnet.
3>Lines:
Hunter Shinkaruk – Sean Monahan- Derek Grant
Emile Poirier – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik
Joe Colborne – Sam Bennett – Micheal Ferland
Lance Bouma- Matt Stajan – Brandon Bollig
TJ Brodie – Dougie Hamilton
Mark Giordano – Derryk Engelland
Brett Kulak – Jacub Nakladal
Joni Ortio
