Last season one of the biggest issues in the Flames missing the playoffs was their inability to win on home ice.
They carried the play for the most part in their own barn, but their failure to convert chances game in and game out doomed their home fate, and then their entire season.
This year the Flames jumped out on the right foot on home ice, winning their first Dome encounter with a come from behind effort against the Vancouver Canucks. Tonight they had a stiffer test, and led almost wire to wire in a 5-2 triumph over the Boston Bruins.
That’s 2-0-0 on the season, both in those really nice retro jerseys by the way.
Stiff Test
The Flames didn’t need the Boston Bruins to come to town in order to find a test early in their NHL schedule; the last three road games through Nashville (one loss), St. Louis and Colorado (one loss) was a pretty stiff exam on their own.
But there’s just something about the Bruins.
One of the best lines in hockey, a well coached team with an incinerator for a powerplay, the guys in black (ok white) probably test your patience more than most in the league.
So what do they do? Trade powerplays with the Bruins all night including five on three advantages for both sides, but somehow didn’t get burned.
Both teams finished the game 0/4 with the Flames 3M line out duelling the Bergeron line in the end, trading chances all the way.
Smith Returns
Mike Smith returned to the nets after one and a third game hiatus, exiting the goal after the second period in the team’s tough loss in St. Louis. The veteran stopper needs to put some starts together as he hasn’t posted great numbers in three of his four starts.
A lot of that has been on his teammates, as he has yet to give up a true stinker, but like the game in Nashville he needed to be the difference on the difficult ones as well.
Tonight more of the same, as the Bruins had the edge in high danger chances by a large margin, but were held in check by Smith and his teammates clearing rebounds. Great bounce back start for the big Flame stopper.
Overload Lines Back in Holster
Despite the “Dominance in Denver”, Bill Peters put his lines back together for tonight’s game with Lindholm back up to the top line, and Tkachuk and Frolik back to the 3M line.
I think part of the return to norm was to save those bullets for when they’re needed mid game, and also to build a solid shut down line to do their best with the last change against the Bruins possession monster first line.
Beat them and you likely win the game.
Frolik comes back in for Dillon Dube who sat with a lower body injury suffered in St. Louis. Dube’s spot in the lines was taken by Mark Jankowski who moved up to center Sam Bennett and James Neal.
That left the fourth line as Derek Ryan between Garnet Hathaway and Austin Czarnik.
Bennett / Neal Chemistry
With the past road trip and now a game tonight, really starting to notice some chemistry forming between James Neal and Sam Bennett.
The second period was pretty much wiped out with special teams, but they had three or four scoring chances, with Bennett providing the screen on Valimaki’s goal to make it 3-0.
Mark Jankowski seemed to maybe fit a bit better with the angry wingers than Dillon Dube as well, at least until the third period when the big center struggled, turning the puck over twice at his blueline.
Jusso First Goal
Just put the puck on net, right?
A flip shot towards the cage, slips through a screen, off Rask’s glove and in over his shoulder for the rookie Fin’s first NHL goal.
In truth he struggled a bit defensively in that period as well, but great to see him hit the scoresheet. His offensive instincts suggest it certainly won’t be his last.
He took an elbow to the chin in the second period which didn’t seem to limit his shifts for the rest of the period.
Sticking Up for the Injured Gaudreau?
Good to see the Flames sticking up for Gaudreau when he took a knee on knee from a beaten Donato in the second period. Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson were both quickly on the scene, looking to make it clear they were less than pleased with the play.
A lot of talk about the role of the enforcer on a roster and the effects on a team, so standing up without the enforcer either on the ice, or in this case in the lineup at all is a message.
In the third Charlie McAvoy finishes a play off with mitts the face on Gaudreau, and once again teammates jump in to protest. Gaudreau was on the powerplay but then disappeared for the rest of the night with Bennett taking his place on the top line.
Hopefully it’s nothing serious.
Powerplay Momentum
With a three goal lead you know the saying … worst lead in hockey.
Certainly felt that way in this one when the Flames powerplay came out and gassed three chances in the second period with three goals leads and a chance to put things away. The first two overlapped giving them a long two man advantage but they didn’t even get a shot on goal.
They started the season terrible, bounced back in game two and three, but the unit just hasn’t gotten it done in the last two and two third games.
Michael Frolik Bounce Back
Such a good story.
Veteran former 2nd line winger sits out a game because he takes two needless penalties in St. Louis. Comes back in tonight to reform the old 2nd line the 3M line with Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk and scores two goals to get his team off to a great start.
Flame depth is the reason you can scratch a guy like Frolik, but having him bounce back and put pressure on the guys that played ahead of him can only add to that internal battle for ice time.
Good on him.
Fancy Stats
The Flames won the corsi battle against a very good possession team, but by a whisker. Calgary finished at 51% with period splits of 57% / 61% and then with the Bruins pushing in the third 29%. Scoring chances were another matter, and a problem for Calgary once again. The Bruins had the edge in both scoring chances 52% and high danger chances 67%.
In all situations the Flames were 51% shot attempts, 53% scoring chances and 48% in high danger attempts and in the end full marks for the win.
Matthew Tkachuk and the third line (Neal, Bennett and Jankowski) led the way individually, all topping 60% on the night. The bottom of the stack featured the first line as they just got owned by the Bruins and specifically the Bruin’s top line. The trio all finished under the 40% mark. Sean Monahan finished the game with a 4-10 high danger record. That top line has to be better in their own zone.
