Hockey clubs need a lot of ingredients to build winning records and win streaks.
They need improved special teams, great goaltending and consistent play throughout their roster. Most of all however, teams need their best players to be their best players an element that was killing them through the first quarter of the season.
That has all changed of late though, and tonight was no different as Johnny Gaudreau, Dougie Hamilton, Chad Johnson and other carried the mail as the Flames pushed their win streak to five games by defeating the sad sack Coyotes in overtime 2-1 on Thursday night.
The Flow
Not the kind of start the Flames were looking for on a win streak looking to get extended. They came out flat and let the Coyotes dictate the play for the game’s first ten minutes before finding their legs. The Coyotes after gassing a powerlay opportunity, get on the board first when Max Domi finds the rebound in a sea of Flame’s sweaters and steers the puck past Chad Johnson after the Flames goaltender made three great saves and was looking for a little help from his teammates. The Flames get untracked and dominate the final 7 minutes of the period and are rewarded with a late powerplay. On the powerplay they win the faceoff and move it around until Johnny Gaudreau finds Mark Giordano across the key who one times it past Mike Smith to tie the game at one.
The Flames start the second in much the same way that they started the first; on their heels. Inexplicable giveaways by TJ Brodie, Jyrki Jokipakka and Mark Giordano gift wrap scoring chances for the Coyotes but Chad Johnson stands tall. From there the Flames find their legs and essentially take over the game the rest of the way through the middle frame. Scoring chances by Matthew Tkachuk (2), Mikael Backlund, Mark Giordano, Troy Brouwer and Alex Chiasson are all stymied by the big goaltender Smith, as he keeps his team in the game and sends the game to the third period all knotted at one.
Third period was all Calgary again, save for two powerplay opportunities for the Coyotes that created some tense moments in the Flames zone. Chad Johnson takes a puck to the collarbone on a Mark Giordano turnover giving Calgary fans a tense moment or two and perhaps Brian Elliott a flutter in the old atrium, but is ok to continue on. The Flames get some good chances including Sam Bennett point blank, and Dougie Hamilton on a three on two pass from Matthew Tkachuk but Mike Smith stays as strong as ever forcing the game to over time.
The overtime period was just one long Johnny Gaudreau shift. First he gets the puck off the opening face off and almost ends it on a quick rush up the ice. The Coyotes respond, but are thwarted by Johnson, and then later Sean Monahan breaks things up sending the puck away again. A few moments later with Gaudreau out of gas and the Flames changing on the fly Gaudreau takes the line, spins and flips a backpass to Dougie Hamilton just coming on the ice. Hamilton makes a great move and takes it to the net beating Smith with a backhand, game over Calgary wins 2-1 in overtime.
Possession Pulse
First Period – The Flames had a rough start to this one and that could be seen in shot attempts as they were 22-15 Arizona after one period, scoring chances were officially 6-0 for the Coyotes which is odd given Mark Giordano’s powerplay one timer that tied the score. Take that one with a grain of salt.
Second Period – Calgary answers back in the corsi world in the second with a 19-10 edge, the scoring chances were 7-5 Calgary.
Third Period – The third period had the shot attempts 17-15 for the Coyotes, and the scoring chances 4-3 Calgary.
Overtime – Calgary leads with 2-1 edge in both shot attempts and scoring chances.
The Players – The Mikael Backlund line was off the charts in this one with Matthew Tkachuk topping 70%, and his linemates both hitting the mid 60’s for their nights work. Other guys with notable great games in shot attempts five on five included Dougie Hamilton, Sam Bennett, and Dennis Wideman. Guys on the wrong side of the balance included the fourth line and Sean Monahan all in the 30s.
1. Dougie Hamilton:Loved his game overall anyway but scoring the game winner in overtime puts him over the top.
2. Mike Smith: Did all he could to help his team out, stopping 33 of 35 shots to carry his club.
3. Johnny Gaudreau:Two assists in 20 minutes of work, and now six points in three games since returning. He’s been a huge boost.
Big Save
None more important than the Chad Johnson left pad save off of Radim Vrbata with about oh I don’t know 2 seconds left to go in the hockey game. Make the save and set up the win, miss it and a deflating end to a win streak.
The Goat
Once again not really a goat night. TJ Brodie gave it a shot with a turnover and a bad third period penalty, but with the team playing well and on a 5 game win streak there’s no point in hanging horns on anyone.
Mr. Clutch
Matthew Tkachuk. Loved his game tonight through and through. Had several scoring chances, and continues to show poise beyond his years in making a dozen small plays a night in tight to keep the puck moving forward. There’s no fluke that this line is a possession monster, and Tkachuk is driving as mush as his linemates.
Odds and Ends
We all saw it in the Dallas game, Versteeg with another shot to the ribs. He came back on Tuesday night, but was a no go for tonight forcing the Flames to change up the lines in the middle of a four game win streak. Luckily Lance Bouma was ready to return so he took Micheal Ferland’s spot on the fourth line, with Ferland plugging into Versteeg’s spot on the Monahan line. No other changes, Johnson starts again, and the defence core stays the same. … Another non-call on Johnny Gaudreau in the first period as the Flame’s winger takes a chop to the face without a call. I know it’s just one of those things as I don’t believe in conspiracy theories, but the evidence to the paranoid out there is certainly piling up. … I love a rugged hockey player, but I really like a rugged hockey player that can back it up with his fists. Max Domi didn’t really have a beef that made any sense against Garnet Hathaway in the second period, but he clearly asked the wrong guy to dance. Domi, who knocked out Ryan Kesler (will always be a fan for that) ran into a few haymakers from Hathaway heading to the box with a cut open eye; decisive win for the Flames fourth liner. … My TV or everyone’s? I had a hum in the background all night on the Sportsnet telecast, almost like someone left a vacuum cleaner running in a room nearby. Drove me nuts. … OK brace yourself for this, games in hand be damned the Flames win moves them past the Sharks and into 2nd in the Pacific Division. Even better they’re actually now tied with the Oilers in points with the Oilers having a game in hand. The West coming out a little weak this year has sure done wonders for clubs that had tough starts but great second quarters like the Flames. Brand new season, clearly.
Next Up
Calgary returns home to take on the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night. The game is game two on Hockey Night in Canada’s double header, game time 8pm.
Lines:
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Ferland – Monahan – Brouwer
Gaudreau – Bennett – Chiasson
Bouma – Stajan – Hathaway
Giordano – Hamilton
Brodie – Hamilton
Jokipakka – Engelland
Johnson
