The NHL schedule is a long arduous road, 82 games in less than 7 months filled with many types of hockey games.
You see blow out wins, blow out losses, games where your favourite team inexplicably fails to show up, and games where the opposition lays and egg giving the home side a laugher.
Every once in a while the team being covered loses the game in regulation, and fails to pick up any points at all, but you still come away somewhat satisfied as both teams showed up and the game itself was excellent. The Flames and Rangers played one of those games this afternoon in Manhattan with the home side coming away with a 4-3 victory in a game that could have easily gone either way.
The end of a three game win streak by the Flames, a failure to make ground on the L.A. Kings who lost today in Washington, but a classic measuring stick against a top Eastern Division foe nonetheless.
The Flow
Good start for the Flames, they get a tip chance on the very first shift and take it to the Rangers for the first couple of minutes. The Rangers get a chance or two of their own and Brian Elliott is equal to the task. The Flames get a powerplay when Micheal Ferland is almost slough footed in the neutral zone by Girardi and the Flames score when Dougie Hamilton gets a shot into traffic with the puck deflecting off of a Ranger and past Lundqvist. The Rangers tie it up on a powerplay by the Rangers when Engelland and Giordano leave Rick Nash unattended behind them, and the big Ranger converts a rebound to tie the score at 1-1. The Rangers carry the play but the Flames get out of the first at MSG all tied up.
Great second period for the Flames, possibly one of their best this season on the road. They take the play to the Rangers, urgency in their game up and down the roster, and a real sense of patience overall in their game. Certainly a huge sign for the Flames if you want to believe they’re building towards something. The period ends up scoreless but the Flames have the lion’s share of the scoring chances and likely deserved a better fate. The Flames are lucky at the end of the period though as the Rangers score a goal 1/10th of a second after time expires to keep the game tied at one over two periods. Yikes!
Highly entertaining third period of play, though the game doesn’t go the Flames way in the end. The Rangers quickly take the lead when Michael Grabner was left all alone on the right side and hammered home a one timer past Elliott to make it 2-1 Rangers. The Flames quickly tie it up when a Johnny Gaudreau shot attempt hits a skate and caroms over to Troy Brouwer who fires it home to tie it up at 2. The Rangers go up again soon after, a goal that Brian Elliott would like to have back when Chris Kreider beat Elliott from a wide angle glove side and you could feel things slipping away for Calgary. Matt Stajan shows a lack of pool angles when he banks a pass back to Jokipakka behind the Flames net and Fast gets a feed and it’s 4-2 and things were looking grim. Calgary gets one back when Matthew Tkachuk helps force a turn over and Mikael Backlund wires one towards Lundqvist with Tkachuk tipping it home; the Flames are able to make it interesting. Some good panicky chances late for the Flames but they can’t get that final bounce and drop the game 4-3.
Possession Pulse
First Period – Five on five shot attempts in the first period favoured the Flames by a 21-15 margin, scoring chances were 9-7 for Calgary as well.
Second Period – Similar stats line in the second with the Flames at a 21-15 margin, scoring chances heavily in the Flames favour with a 8-2 edge.
Third Period – Once again a similar story in the third period with the Flames having a 21-18 edge in scoring chances and a 14-8 edge in scoring chances. Over all in the game the Flames were 57% Corsi and had a 67% edge in scoring chances.
Players – Great sign for Calgary’s third line as the Versteeg, Bennett, Chiasson line was the Flames best in terms of possession with all three of them over or near 70%; Versteeg and Bennett closer to 78%. The whole top line was right in it too as Backlund, Frolik and Tkachuk were all 64%. Additional guys with good games included the top defense pairing of Hamilton and Giordano who were both in the 60s. only a handful of players were under the break even mark though both the Monahan line and the fourth line were around the 40% mark.
1. Michael Grabner: The bounced around NHLer has found a home in Manhattan and was electric tonight with his break neck speed, scoring a goal and adding an assist
2. Matthew Tkachuk: Not a bad first career game at MSG, as the 19 year old scores once, adds an assist and has three shots on goal.
3. Ryan McDonough: Leads his team in ice time with almost 25 minutes, picks up an assist and was robbed of a buzzer beater in the second period.
Big Save
In the second period Matthew Tkachuk gets a stick on a point shot but instead of the puck deflecting in it goes up in the air. He spins and gets a stick on it mid air but Henrik Lundqvist never loses his focus and corrals the fluttering puck.
The Goat
Hate to do it, but have to pin this one on Brian Elliott. I didn’t like the Rangers second or fourth goals on the night, and the late one in the second that didn’t count wasn’t great either. Great shot by Grabner, but Elliott has to be a little more ready to move across his crease rather than sit glued to the one post. The Kreider goal was a back breaker though.
Mr. Clutch
Mikael Backlund. Another warrior turn of the ice for Backlund in New York as he picks up two assists and is noticeable almost every time he was on the ice.
Odds and Ends
The win and your in edict continues with the exact same goaltender, pairings and lines from the win in New Jersey on Friday night. Have to feel sorry for Brett Kulak as he was in and part of the win streak until he came up with the flu and was sent to the sidelines. Now he can’t seem to find his way back in. … Don’t plan the coming out party just yet, but I am starting to see signs in Sam Bennett, signs that his game may be turning around. I don’t know if he’s ready to emerge as an offensive force in the final third of the season, but his five on five play is certainly growing as he looked great today in puck possession, being on the defensive side of the puck and using some strength to win board battles up and down the ice. … Sean Monahan didn’t get his 100th career goal with his parents in the crowd but he did pick up an assist on the Brouwer goal in the third period. The goal kept game streaks for both Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau going. … The win and your in plan should see Chad Johnson back in the nets when the Flames visit Pittsburgh on Tuesday looking to get at least a point and making the road trip .500 or better. Tough start for Johnson, but the beauty of the win and your in plan is that he must feel he needs to win in order to avoid sitting out again when the Flames return to action after next weekend. The team is playing well so you had better get the two points when you get your opportunity. … Teams have long term plans and depth charts. Who they see being resigned, who they see not being resigned and moved before expiration, which prospects fit where and how long it will be until they come on the scene. With that I would love to know what the Flames have planned for Mikael Backlund. When Brad Treliving came to Calgary Backlund was a third line center, and he quickly drafted his expectant 2nd line center in Sam Bennett. Backlund has become a heck of a lot more important since that first summer but with a year and two months to go until unrestricted free agency the Flames had better have a plan. Sign him to an extension this summer or do they explore moving him at his absolute max out point of trade value? … The Kings loss takes some of the sting out of the loss, but the Oilers overtime win against the Canadiens puts them back up 9 points in the standings; I still think the Oilers will ultimately be the Flames target. … Good to see Micheal Ferland sticking up for team and linemate Lance Bouma in the third when Klein hammered Bouma into the boards in a vulnerable position; as the team improves you need to see the “in the room” component of the club coming along as well.
Next Up
The Flames wrap up this mini three game Eastern excursion with a game in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. Game time 5.30pm on Sportsnet.
Lines:
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Versteeg – Bennett – Chiasson
Gaudreau – Monahan – Brouwer
Bouma – Stajan – Ferland
Giordano – Hamilton
Brodie – Wideman
Jokipakka – Engellend
Elliott
