What more can you say about this team?
Great goaltending. Solid special teams. Balanced scoring. A happy dressing room. A hell of a streak.
Seven wins in a row with tonight’s 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, a game in which they erased a 2-1 deficit through forty minutes by scoring three times in the third period’s first three minutes. They now have points in nine straight games, and have moved into a tie with Edmonton for the second spot in the Pacific.
Oh what a change three weeks can make …
Line Up Changes
The Flames are getting healthy, and I mean only Juuso Valimaki out healthy very soon.
Tonight Matthew Tkachuk returns from the walking wounded, meaning Tobias Reider stumbles down the lineup to his fourth line spot and back to back goal scorer Zach Rinaldo exits the lineup. No change to the middle lines, but Tkachuk is back with Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane and Reider is back on the wing with Mark Jankowski and Michael Frolik.
The pairings remain the same with Geoff Ward selecting the “quiet” game of Michael Stone over the more dangerous but quick game of Oliver Kylington. That puts TJ Brodie on the third pairing with Stone, and Rasmus Andersson up with Mark Giordano. As per usual Noah Hanifin lines up with Travis Hamonic.
David Rittich gets back into the nets for the Flames against the Leafs.
But What Happens When …
The lineup will soon be a major issue of contention however, as Austin Czarnik and Sam Bennett are both nearing their returns.
That will result in some moves to the farm, and some moves out of the lineup, and given the play of some of the new lines the decisions will be fascinating.
You have to get Bennett back in, that’s a given, but do you start him on the fourth line and keep the top nine as is for now? Or do you bump a Dillon Dube out of a role he’s carved despite his offence?
Have to think Rinaldo is on his way down and eventually Reider as well. But given the way the fourth line has played of late, including tonight where they tackled a hard role and even scored the game winner, decisions won’t be easy!
Dube & NHL Strength
Love Dillon Dube, and he’s going to be a great hockey player.
But three times tonight I saw Leaf players muscling him off the puck in a way that really brought light to the fact that the guy has only played 35 games at the NHL level. Mitch Marner isn’t a big dude, he shouldn’t really have a size and strength advantage over Dube … but he has experience and showed it by getting the better of the Calgary winger early in the first period.
It’ll come for sure, but the young winger has a bit to learn.
Matt Stajan Between Periods
I thought Matt Stajan was excellent between periods in his two segments on Sportsnet.
A bit fidgity with his hands and legs when he started, but his input is well thought out and behind the scenes which is always a good add to a panel that includes Eric Francis.
Good sign if he continues in that role, good add to the telecast.
No Change 5 on 3?
Couldn’t believe the Flames didn’t change up their penalty killing unit after the Leafs had a minute of sustained pressure with a 5 on 3 powerplay in the third period.
No time out.
No line change.
He sticks with Mikael Backlund, Mark Giordano and Michael Stone when they drop the puck again.
Love interesting coaching wrinkles like that. They likely had a conversation quickly about their recovery and with that he went with the same guys. Very unique.
Is Backlund a Ward Favourite?
Speaking of Backlund, he’s clearly a favourite of Geoff Ward.
Almost 19 minutes of ice time for the center or … I guess winger, and ahead of the likes of Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau.
He’s been snake bit all season, but he plays quality minutes and is always in the right spot.
A Happy Gaudreau is a Good Gaudreau
Two third period goals as Johnny Gaudreau continues to dig himself out of a terrible start to the season. Well maybe not start, as his first two or three games were solid, but a lull that started in mid October and lasted for a full month.
He now has four goals and an assist in the Ward streak, but more importantly looks energized and like he’s having fun again on the ice. NHL teams have to have their best players going, and right now the Flames have found a great mix of support scoring and a reawakening from their key pieces.
Frolik Rolling
Love seeing the streak from Michael Frolik after a pretty rough start to the season.
Peters, no Peters, the guy didn’t play all that well, but he seems to have gone streaking, much like he did last year in the second half in saving the second line.
Three games and three goals after a miserable start to the season.
One of the best free agent signings in Calgary history in my mind. This year hasn’t been pretty, but he was money for four years, and worth the money as it turned out.
Monahan to 8 Straight
Sean Monahan extended his point streak to eight games with a great first period assist on the Travis Hamonic goal.
Long thought of as a complimentary player to star Johnny Gaudreau, the play was some proof that maybe he’s a little better than that. Takes a bank pass from Mark Giordano, takes the line with two players on him, spins off a check and then casually finds a streaking Travis Hamonic across the ice with no Leafs around.
Solid play, and an important goal.
He did see his goal streak snapped at five straight games however but he did add a second assist giving him ten points in the eight games.
Rittich Rebound Control
Really notice a difference in David Rittich’s ability to handle rebounds, 0r specifically where they end up.
Rather than just making saves now, you can see the goaltender aiming pucks to the corner, and often over the glass to get faceoffs when the team gets themselves in trouble in a long shift in their own zone.
The Leafs were full money for a few dominant shifts tonight, and many of them ended with Rittich making a key deflection out of danger.
I’ve said it before, but this crazy season’s best highlight to me is the emergence of Rittich as Calgary’s go to guy. Good story.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 24 Leafs 34
Face Offs – Flames 56%
Special Teams – Flames 0/1 Leafs 0/3
Player Stats:
Points – The Flames were led in points by three players, Sean Monahan with two assists, Johnny Gaudreau with two goals and Travis Hamonic with a goal and an assist.
Plus/Minus – Sean Monahan and Mikael Backlund were both +3 on the night.
Shots – Andrew Mangiapane bested his teammates with four shots on goal.
Fancy Stats
Five on five shot attempts went to the Flames with 51% on period splits of 57%/46% and 50% despite being out shot 34-24, largely on the strength of the Leafs having three times the powerplays. Five on five high danger chances went to Toronto with a tight 11-10 split, and the Flames xGF% was 54%.
In all situations the Flames had 47% of the shot attempts, 41% of the scoring chances, but still had the edge in xGF% at 51%.
Individually the Flames were led by their fourth line that actually were given the Tavares line as a project to start the game. All three members; Jankowski/Reider/Frolik finished with identical 74% nights. Take a bow. The top line (are they?) also had great nights as Lindholm, Tkachuk and Mangiapane were all 60% or darn close. The third line had a rough night with Dillon Dube pulling up the rear at 19%.
