With the ten days between games, and only a handful of practices it was setting up like a game you’d likely end up watching through your fingers.
A flat, disjointed team that takes the better part of a half a game to get their game untracked, but by that point they’re chasing it and come up short … likely an empty net goal to seal a three goal victory from the visitors. Seemed obvious to me.
So it was encouraging to see a Calgary team come out hard, dictate the play for the first few minutes, and then be resilient enough to erase 1-0 and 3-2 St. Louis leads before finally bowing in a shoot out by a 5-4 score.
Take the point, and on to Edmonton.
It honestly could have been worse.
Line Up Changes
With back to back games the Flames are going with Cam Talbot tonight against the Blues. I’m glad, that a) they’re splitting the two games, and b) that they’re not overthinking things and going with Talbot against Edmonton tomorrow night. All points are important, but the Edmonton game is a four pointer and you want your best in net to bring it home. Talbot has been great of late, but Rittich is the guy in my mind, and he had a stellar all star weekend to boost his confidence.
No change on the blueline at all as Mark Giordano lines up with TJ Brodie, Noah Hanifin hits the frozen water with Travis Hamonic, and Oliver Kylington plays catch with countryman Rasmus Andersson.
Up front three of four lines change coming out of the break, with only the Elias Lindholm between Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane trio kept together. Other lines include Derek Ryan moving from third line center to second line right wing with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. The third and fourth lines are tough to decipher with the remaining parts. Mark Jankowski moves into Ryan’s spot centering Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube. That leaves Mikael Backlund back to center with Sam Bennett and Calgary’s new goon Buddy Robinson (sic).
Speaking of the Goon, Buddy Robinson
Wonder if Edmonton media watched the game on Sportsnet to scout the Flame’s new goon in anticipation of the big Calgary Edmonton game tomorrow night?
If they did they would have been either relieved or disappointed as Robinson is anything but a policeman coming to save the day. The largely unnoticeable player had a solid night contributing doing little things on a line with Backlund to start and Monahan to finish, but certainly wasn’t physical, wasn’t looking for fights at any point, and really doesn’t play all that physical a game.
I guess that’s what you get when you use the back of a hockey card to write an article.
Three Games Out of the Break
Clearly winning all three games would be a statement, and an excellent way to get things going for the final 32 games. But three in four with a game against the Stanley Cup Champions and two against a heated rival makes the sweep somewhat unlikely.
So a point against the Blues, and three out of four against Edmonton was my goal coming out of the break.
Hockey News Picks 6 Teams on the Move
The Hockey News’ Jared Clinton picked six teams; three set to move up and three set to move down that is sure to get some reaction from Alberta (Guessing David Staples is dusting off his old keyboard as we speak).
Choices to move up the standings were Calgary, Tampa Bay and Toronto, while the three thought to be sliding included Edmonton, Nashville and Winnipeg.
The basis premise was how they’re playing of course, but with a heavy weighting for strength of schedule which he has Calgary enjoying the 5th lightest schedule the rest of the way.
Rusty Kylington
The Flames got off the hop pretty well for a team coming off the break and playing a team that shook the creaks out of their game the night before. They had a solid first five minutes, gave up a goal, and then responded with two powerplay goals to get up in the game.
One guy not so much though.
Oliver Kylington had a miserable period, both in execution and at times lady luck. A terrible giveaway that led to the Blues first goal of the night and then from there, nothing going right.
A fanned attempt at the blueline leading to an odd man rush. A stumble in his own zone leading to a chance from behind the net, and a few other times where the puck just jumped over his stick.
Kylington was really making strides before the all star break, and I’m sure it’s just a blip, but a tough first period for the Swedish defender.
Monahan Nets 400th Points
Crazy to see Sean Monahan with 400 NHL points, it honestly doesn’t seem that long that he’s been in the show.
But that’s the mark he reached in the first period when he converted a Johnny Gaudreau pass to put the Flames up 2-1 with a powerplay goal. Later in the game he popped another powerplay goal to give him 401 in his career.
On the career he’s nearing some heady points in Flame’s history, as he’s now only 52 points behind Eric Vail, and moving into the top ten in franchise history. Given his young age it’s conceivable that he moves up the list and into 4th or 5th all time depending on what he does with his next contract.
The Big Three
Speaking of Monahan, media members in Calgary have accurately focused on Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and captain Mark Giordano as players that have to have better second halves if the Flames are to gain a divisional playoff spot and dare I say even make a little hay in the playoffs.
All three players are well off their paces from last season, but also down from career averages making the team much thinner when it comes to depth and production.
If I was to pick a player that has the most impact though, it’s clearly Gaudreau, and his lack of creativity this season is hurting both Monahan and Giordano’s counting stats.
So it was a good sign last night to see Monahan score two goals, while Gaudreau and Giordano pick up two assists.
It’s only a game, but it’s certainly a good start.
Line Blender
Was a fun touch by Geoff Ward to scramble the lines and end up with childhood buddies Buddy Robinson and Johnny Gaudreau playing on the same line with Sean Monahan.
The trio had a few chances too, and credit the Saddledome crowd to know the situation and serenade Robinson in the third period.
The changes sent Ryan back to the third line with his usual linemates of Dube and Lucic, leaving a new line of Mikael Backlund centering Mark Jankowski and Sam Bennett … this new trio getting the go ahead goal in the late second; Jankowski his 2nd goal in as many games.
Talbot Fighting It
He’d be the first to admit he struggled tonight.
Four goals against his record, another that was waved off on an offside challenge, and then beaten twice on two shots in a shoot out. Overall not the kind of game we saw from him earlier in January.
Part of the problem of course is the gap, as the Flames went back to back to back with David Rittich before the all star break meaning Talbot hasn’t seen the nets since January 11th.
Luckily tonight the Blues’ goaltender Jordan Binnington also struggled somewhat so Calgary found a point.
Bennett Has A Game
Sam Bennett had a stellar game last night, something we just haven’t seen much of this season.
He had some chemistry with new center Mikael Backlund and was noticeable on most of his shifts. He picked up a second period assist, was second on the team in hits, and logged almost 15 minutes of ice time; a marathon for Bennett in the last few seasons.
If he and Backlund can form a pair in the bottom six it could go along way in giving the Flames some depth and added pop to their lineup.
Powerplay Power
The Flames had solid underlying numbers against St. Louis tonight but it’s the powerplay that buttered their bread and got them the two points.
Through 60 minutes the Flames were three for three on the powerplay with two strikes from Monahan and another from Matthew Tkachuk. Truth be told the Tkachuk goal was a bit of a fluke, and Monahan’s second came off a blocked shot and fortuitous bounce, but they all count and getting the special teams feeling good about themselves is certainly a good thing.
Binnington Is A Douche
What is up with this kid?
He’s almost Billy Smith level touchy in his goal crease, over reacting to every slight bump and pass by by the opposition through the game.
Have to think he’s going to stop getting the benefit of the calls in his crease if he continues to act like a suck, especially at his level of experience.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 31 Blues 34
Face Offs – Flames 54%
Special Teams – Flames 3/4 Blues 1/2
Player Stats:
Points – Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mark Giordano and Matthew Tkachuk all had two points in their return from the all star break.
Plus/Minus – Mikael Backlund and Sam Bennett led the way with a +1 evening.
Shots – Sean Monahan and Andrew Mangiapane were the leaders with four shots on goal.
Fancy Stats
The Flames were just edged by St. Louis in five on five shot attempts, as they finished with 49.4% with period splits of 59%/50% and 41% with St. Louis pushing. Calgary had a huge edge in five on five high danger chances however with a 12-3 bulge and 80% on the night. The Flames led with an xGF% of 58%.
In all situations the Flames had 52% of the shot attempts, 74% of the high danger chances and an xGF% of 74%.
Yes Cam Talbot had a tough night.
Individually, the Flames were led by Buddy Robinson with 76.5% on the night. Johnny Gaudreau, TJ Brodie, Sean Monahan and Mikael Backlund were in the 60s. The third line consisting of Mark Jankowski, Milan Lucic, as well as the third defense pairing of Andersson and Kylington had a rough night.
