Sometimes the puck bounces your way. Sometimes it doesn’t.
The Flames had a win streak that was fueled by some solid hockey, but also a bounce or two in many of the seven (or nine) games that got their season back on track.
Now in back to back losses they may have iced their best first periods of the season (and some pretty piss poor seconds too) without much in the way of positive results.
Tonight a 17-6 edge in first period shots only garnered the Flames a sketchy 1-0 lead, and the Penguins were only too happy to score twice in 72 seconds to take the lead, a lead that they held until adding two empty net goals late.
For the Flames the key is to shake it off, they played a pretty solid game and were within a whisker (or Matthew Tkachuk’s third period powerplay cross bar) from tying it on many occasions.
Line Up Changes
Two fairly impactful changes; one up front and one between the pipes.
First off Cam Talbot gets a start without a reason, well clearly the reason is recent good play, but by reason I mean no back to back situation in a tough barn with a tired team. He’s earned the start based on his work in his last two starts last week; a 4-3 win over L.A. after giving up the first two goals early, and a 5-2 win in Phoenix.
Up front Sam Bennett returns after missing 16 games with what is believed to be a bum shoulder. He slides into some fourth line duty with the top line rolling, Mark Jankowski takes a seat. No change to the top three lines.
On the blueline no change, as Oliver Kylington stays in the lineup with Michael Stone watching from the press box.
Bennett Returns
Solid first game for Sam Bennett in the final analysis.
First off no penalties! Seriously!
But overall his play was consistent and he didn’t look like he missed a beat. Second on the team in CF%, 2nd in xGF% and laid the body whenever he had a chance, which was noticeable.
Clearly one of the team’s top 12 forwards and good to have him back.
The Talbot Start
The Flames didn’t give Cam Talbot a whole lot to do in the first period, but got themselves in trouble in the second period with the Penguins bringing the hammer.
The Penguins had four of the six high danger scoring chances in the period and scored two goals, though I’m not sure I hang either on Talbot. Both goals were through heavy screens coming at the end of prolonged shifts in the Calgary zone.
The third period was pretty quiet again, and of course the empty net goals don’t count against him, so overall you certainly couldn’t fault Talbot for the loss.
Final numbers show 29 saves on 31 shots for a .935 save percentage. Good night’s work.
Soccer Balls, Tunes and Flow
It’s all about being light around the Flames these days, a general theme from coach Geoff Ward that continues from game to game and practice to practice.
Truth be told the first helmetless warm up came from Bill Peters in Philadelphia, but it continues along with items like yesterday’s soccer game, and the music in each and every practice.
It hasn’t quite gotten to Carolina levels with the post game chaos, but it’s good to see some levity and smiling faces around the Saddledome.
Bouncing Back
You’d hope to see the Flames snare that losing streak at only one setback, and beat the Penguins tonight, but it wasn’t meant to be obviously with the 4-1 setback.
The take away for me though is the style of play and the push. The Flames didn’t go away after a rough 15 minute stretch in the second where they surrendered their lead. They finished the second strong, and had their looks in the third period looking for the tie but didn’t get it done.
Too many games this season had the team almost going through the motions and not generating anything by way of scoring chance in many of their games. Not the case tonight.
Tristan Jarry was the difference.
Good First / Bad Second
Having said that Geoff Ward may want to have a think about the second periods of late.
That’s back to back games where the Flames looked dominant in the first, but completely unable to handle the push back in the second that their visitors were sure to mount.
No team runs over the opposition for 60 minutes, but they need to stem the tide earlier and not let an entire frame get away from them.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 34 Penguins 33
Face Offs – Flames 52%
Special Teams – Flames 0/1 Penguins 0/3
Player Stats:
Points – Mikael Backlund and Tobias Reider each had one assist, and Johnny Gaudreau had the goal as all three players led the team with one point apiece.
Plus/Minus – Only Reider managed to escape the night on the plus side.
Shots – Johnny Gaudreau led all skaters with 5 shots on goal.
Fancy Stats
The Flames had the better of the play five on five which could be seen with 57% of the shot attempts on period splits of 70%/43% and 57%. They had a 10-4 edge in five on five scoring chances (71%) and an xGF% five on five of 67%. All in all a solid night at even strength.
In all situations the Flames had 53% of the shot attempts 65% of the high danger chances and an xGF% of 48% despite having only 25% of the powerplays.
Individually the Flames were led by Michael Frolik at 71.4%. Players over the 60% mark included Milan Lucic, Sam Bennett, Rieder, Derek Ryan, Noah Hanifin, Sean Monahan and Travis Hamonic. Only four players were under the break even point “led” by Elias Lindholm at 41%, as well as Andrew Mangiapane, Matthew Tkachuk and Oliver Kylington.
The fourth line all had xGF% in the 90s.
