The game starts at seven.
Seven.
On the nose.
The Flames may want to remember that as the team laid an egg for the second time in three games, before rebounding and making it a game.
Tonight a 0-2 deficit and a 1-10 shot differential in the fist before finding their game and making it interesting, even tying it 3-3 in the third before the Leafs found the go ahead goal and won the game by a 4-3 score.
Lots to like again in this one, but some issue as well, as the Flames continue to build off an uneven schedule start to the season.
Line Up Changes
It’s early.
So you can understand a certain amount of going back to the same well when clearly things haven’t worked to date. The fourth line had a tough time against Toronto, a line built exactly like the line that struggled in the last half of the first game of the season in Winnipeg. But it’s only 4 periods of hockey.
Dillon Dube continues to be a jump ball, an hour before the game he was possible, but doubtful given the nature of the game (not being a playoff contest).
So assuming he doesn’t go, it’s a repeat of the full set from Sunday afternoon.
Elias Lindholm between Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk, a solid top line that has great underlying numbers. Sean Monahan between Johnny Gaudreau and Dominik Simon, a second line that has shown some solid promise to the season, with 2/3 of the former top line off to great starts. A third line of Mikael Backlund between Sam Bennett and Josh Leivo. And the aforementioned fourth line of Derek Ryan between Milan Lucic and Joakim Nordstrom.
The pairings stay the same, as Mark Giordano and Rasmus Andersson continue to seek some chemistry; they’ve had a rough start. The exceeding expectations second pairing with Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. And the team lifting third pairing of Juuso Valimaki and Nikita Nesterov that have given the team and Geoff Ward the opportunity to role the pairings five on five without a lot of concern to matchups.
In goal, mainly due to the five day break, Jacob Markstrom starts his 5th straight game to start the season. One would think David Rittich would have gotten a start by now had the games been more compressed. But you can’t argue with going with the number one guy given his play to start the season. Without bad bounces he’d be on a three game shut out string.
Markstrom Finally Beat Clean
Two first period Leaf goals, and both on shots by the Leafs without any help from any Calgary players!
Well perhaps … probably some mistakes by Calgary players along the way, but you get my point. After a bizarre run of luck that included three straight games without getting beat by the opposition on purpose, Markstrom is finally solved with actual skill.
Quite a difference to start this season with a goaltender that you just assume will make the save. Haven’t seen that in years, as we all know.
And I like David Rittich as a backup, he may not be an A1 starter, but he’s probably a bottom third starter in the league backing up a top third stopper.
No Shot First Averted
The Flames came a Matthew Tkachuk first period tip from going shotless in the first period, which very much matched what we saw on the ice.
They were terrible.
No energy, they lost every puck battle, they honestly looked unprepared to play.
They had a similar bad start on Monday last week against the Canucks, but found their mojo in the second and took the game over.
And They Did …
Entertaining as hell to have the home team rebound after a terrible first stanza but maybe just maybe we need to ask what the heck has been wrong at the start of the game in two of the last three starts.
But the Flames came out hard, scoring two of three goals and making a game of it with a complete flip of the shot disparity, out shooting the Maple Leafs 18-5.
Without a breakdown they likely should have tied up the game and possibly gone ahead.
Milan Lucic with the marker to make the third period more interesting.
Line Change Up
Speaking of Milan Lucic, Geoff Ward did a switch up of the third and fourth lines in the second period, sending Lucic to the third line to play with Mikael Backlund and Sam Bennett, and Josh Leivo down to the fourth line to play with Derek Ryan and Joakim Nordstrom.
Honestly it seemed to work for both trios.
Lucic of course scores and posts a solid 61% CF on the night.
Ironically, the only forwards under water on the night were Sam Bennett, Mikael Backlund and Dominik Simon despite being surrounded by players that had better numbers.
So Where Are We?
Honestly I like this team.
And I haven’t always said that. I like the forward group depth, I like the impact of the improved bottom half of the defensive core. I like the bounce back by Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. I like the new formed first line with Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk. Clearly Jacob Markstrom is a top notch goaltender.
They have struggled with some bad periods for sure, but overall I think there is more to bank on with this team than we’ve seen in the last few years.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 26 Leafs 21
Face Offs – Flames 55%
Special Teams – Flames 1/4 Leafs 1/2
Player Stats:
Points – Literally no change from the previous game, same two guys as Johnny Gaudreau with two goals and Sean Monahan with two assists lead the Flames in scoring.
Plus/Minus – Five Calgary players had a +1 night a list that included; Johnny Gaudreau, Dominik Simon, Sean Monahan, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin.
Shots – Elias Lindholm edged out Matthew Tkachuk with five shots on goal on the night.
Fancy Stats
Five on five the Flames had 58% of the shot attempts on period splits of 47%/62% and 58%. They had an edge in high danger chances as well with a 12-9 final, and an expected goal split of 59%.
In all situations the Flames had 58% of the shot attempts, 57% of the high danger chances and an expected goal split of 57%.
All in all Calgary probably deserved better than two regular season losses to the Leafs.
Individually the Flames were led by Derek Ryan with 75%, a huge feat given the struggles of the fourth line on the season. Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev were next up both in the high 60s, with the top line of Lindholm, Tkachuk and Mangiapane also posting huge numbers. Should mention Milan Lucic was 61% tonight after getting caved in against the Leafs in the first game of this mini-set. Only four players were under the 50% mark on the night … Sam Bennett, Mikael Backlund, Mark Giordano and Dominik Simon.
