There are plenty of cliches in the game of hockey, like most sports.
An important one is learning to win, and for a relatively young hockey club like the Calgary Flames, their recent struggles have surrounded the inability to play their game when trailing. Get a lead and they look like a playoff team, get down and they look like a team that’s heading for another top six pick.
Tonight the Flames scored the first two to grab that all important lead, but a rough second period saw that lead erased and the team down heading to the third period. The team showed some fortitude in the third on the way to a come from behind 4-3 overtime win over the Devils on Friday night, starting a three game road trip before a five day break off on the right foot.
Baby steps for fuzzy cheeked hockey clubs.
The Flow
Great road period for the Flames as they started well, floundered a little bit towards the middle of the period, but then finished strong. The Flames scored the period’s only goal when Sean Monahan kept his unreal pace up (now hitting nine goals in ten games) with a shot off the bar and in with a Calgary powerplay just expiring. The Flames first unit had hemmed the Devils in their own zone for about 90 seconds of sustained pressure before finally putting a bullet in the tired crew. Calgary leads 1-0 after one period of play.
The second period started on the powerplay as well, as Palmieri had shoved Troy Brouwer into the Flames net with less than a minute to go in the first. The Flames make quick work of it when Kris Versteeg hammered one through a screen to make it a 2-0 lead for the Flames. Through the midway point of the period (and game) the Flames were in total control, icing one of their best efforts of the season, but then the wheels fell off. The Devils scored three straight to take a 3-2 lead to the dressing room, including a short side goal, and a play that looked to have gone of Palmieri’s glove but stood.
The Flames come up with the perfect effort third period, for a club down a goal and looking to keep a modest win streak alive. They tie it up on a fourth line goal by the ever abrasive Matt Stajan, limit the Devils to only three shots on goal, and look very much the confident team that is comfortable in tight games late. The Stajan goal came from simple hard work, a veteran pushing the pace, keeping his feet moving and having his stick on the ice to tip in a TJ Brodie pass. The game goes to overtime tied at three.
In overtime the Flames start Monahan and Gaudreau and fail to score though Gaudreau gets a decent chance that his snared by the glove of Cory Schneider. The Flames win it on the second shift when Mikael Backlund and TJ Brodie put on a possession show in the Devil’s zone, with Brodie finding Backlund for the winner. Flames win 4-3 in overtime.
Possession Pulse
First Period – Five on five shots were 18-17 for the Flames in the first period, scoring chances 7-5 for the Flames as the period matches the eye test.
Second Period – 19-15 for the Flames for five on five shot attempts in the second period for the Flames, scoring chances at 10-7 for the Devils as they score three goals to flip the game on it’s ear.
Third Period – Only four shot attempts for the Devils five on five in the third, as the Flames had a 12-4 edge. They also led in scoring chances to the tune of 7-1, great period
Players – The Sean Monahan trend continues, as the center tops 70% again, trailing only teammate Dougie Hamilton for the team lead. A total fo 13 Flames skaters top the 60% mark for five on five shot attempts, which has to be a season record. The Devils never had the puck? On the negative side for the team the club’s possession line got owned again, with all three skaters under or at 40%.
1. TJ Brodie: Puts up four assists on four goals, a good night at the office!
2. Sean Monahan: Scored a goal, had five shots on goal and was dangerous all night.
3. Kyle Palmieri: Most involved Devil on the night, scored a goal.
Big Save
Sean Monahan wasn’t an easy guy to keep at bay tonight, but Cory Schneider certainly did his best including a stop in the second when he was able to wait Monahan out as he took the puck across the grain and across the crease but was foiled by a pad save by Schneider.
The Goat
The Quincey Severson pairing had a rough night, both going -2 and getting hemmed in on more than a few occassions.
Mr. Clutch
Mikael Backlund. Didn’t have his usual dominant night in terms of underlying stats, but he was there when it mattered. Had a monster second period shift, and then scored the overtime winner on a great pass from Brodie.
Odds and Ends
Gulutzan used his “win and you’re in” philosophy for the whole team tonight as he dressed the exact same line up as we saw in the Flames 5-1 win over the Wild on Wednesday night. He experimented with Brett Kulak taking Dennis Wideman’s spot for the morning skate, but Wideman was right back in there when the two teams took the ice tonight. … Little blurb on the telecast about scouting the Flames from the Jersey standpoint, with John Hynes suggesting the Flames were a team to watch with their special teams because they are dangerous. Quite the statement when you think of how rough the special teams were last year, and to start this year with many a fan wanting Dave Cameron specifically run out of town. Now that two late guy zone entry set up is a joy to watch. … Great bit of video to show why Matthew Tkachuk has been such an impact player as a 18/19 year old can be seen in the third period with about 8 1/2 minutes to play. He does a good job of eluding a check as he works the puck up the boards towards the Devils blueline; going against the grain when he makes an ill advised pass to the middle and turns the puck over. Quickly he spins around and covers as the defenseman, and then levels the Devil in his own zone creating the puck going the other way. Maturity. … Every time I see Blandisi on the ice for the Devils I think of that rediculous diving call he got nabbed with last season, what a joke (Blan-Divesy. … Wow I’m a Sean Monahan fan again. The kid really rolls with confidence. When he doesn’t have it he’s a below average NHLer, but when he does he makes good passes, his coverage is sound in his own zone, and man can he find the seems in the offensive zone. Scored one tonight but could have easily had four. … Love the Mikael Backlund “I’m going to button hook no wait I’m not” move that he used twice tonight. The kid just continues to evolve. … Said today on the site that I think the Oilers are the Flames target to reel in a playoff spot. The Kings are the Kings, the Blues likely have shocked their system and will be fine so you have to look up to pick a target, and the Oilers are the most likely team to implode. With the Flames winning both games after the all star break and the Oilers losing all three in regulation the teams are now even in games and the Flames have made up four points. They now trail the Oilers by seven points. Could be fun!
Next Up
The three game road trip moves to Manhattan for a game on Sunday afternoon, game time 12 noon Calgary time on Sportsnet.
Lines:
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Versteeg – Bennett – Chiasson
Gaudreau – Monahan – Brouwer
Bouma – Stajan – Ferland
Giordano – Hamilton
Brodie – Wideman
Jokipakka – Engellend
Elliott
