Wasn’t that pretty much the Flames season once again?
Have the play territorially, but don’t muster anything by way of scoring chances, turn the puck over at importune moments and lose the game convincingly.
The season has been over for a long long time. The Flames have been walking the “plank” for what feels like six weeks. Tonight with a loss to one of the teams they are chasing it really really felt like the end though.
The Habs can still be caught, but it’s going to take every out come going the Flames way in regulation time.
That’s highly unlikely.
Lets see the kids!
The Line Up
Based on practice this week it doesn’t look like Darryl Sutter has his eye on making significant changes with the team still clinging to a playoff spot. The same 18 skaters and starting goaltender are set to the take the ice at the Dome tonight against the Jets; losers of seven in a row, and suddenly a target for Calgary even with the faintest of hopes.
-The Cage
Jacob Markstrom starting again, and once again not a surprise given the fact the team still has the slimmest of chances to secure a playoff spot. Markstrom continues to whittle away at his goals saved above average deficit, a number that is now below 7 and was about 14 at one point this season. A terrible jam section to the season, but the bread on either side at least suggests that next year’s sandwich could be tasty.
Jacob Markstrom
Goals Saved above average -6.9
Louis Domingue
Yet to play
The Blueline
No change on the blueline, as it stands, but the fact that we saw Conner Mackey paired with Michael Stone at a practice this week could suggest some changes are on the horizon. It’s no secret that Darryl Sutter’s patience with Juuso Valimaki could be wearing thin as he outs him consistently, or refers to a play he made that leaves little doubt as to who he’s referring too. The most recent was his first period penalty in Edmonton. But tonight it looks like it’s Mark Giordano with Chris Tanev, Nikita Nesterov with Rasmus Andersson, and Valimaki with Stone.
Giordano – Tanev
60% xGF in 220 minutes
Nesterov – Andersson
50% xGF in 74 minutes
Valimaki – Stone
54% xGF in 117 minutes
Up Front
No change up front as well, though the middle two lines have struggled mightily since the lines were blendered last. The top line is rolling for the most part as Elias Lindholm, Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau have found their scoring range of late. The fourth line of Derek Ryan, Joakim Nordstrom and Buddy Robinson is doing what they should do; not accomplishing a whole lot but eating some minutes and not getting in a lot of trouble. The second line of Sean Monahan, Andrew Mangiapane and Brett Ritchie has struggled though, and so too has the Mikael Backlund with Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube combination. I thought the switch of Dube with Monahan and Mangiapane was pretty effective for a few games. This combination seems to neuter both trios.
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk
60% xGF in 91 minutes
Mangiapane – Monahan – Ritchie
35% xGF in 24 minutes
Lucic – Backlund – Dube
40% xGF in 58 minutes
Nordstrom – Ryan – Robinson
67% xGF in 19 minutes
~ Data from NaturalStatTrick, and Moneypuck
Grind It Out
That was a thrilling first!
Honestly it’s what we expect these days as the Flames, a team that hadn’t generated a lot of offence to start the year anyway, has learned how to be better in their own zone and with the downside being an even greater loss to offence.
That was on display in the first period where the two teams had six shots apiece and the one goal from Adam Lowry on a shot that Kelly Hrudey felt Jacob Markstrom lost his net.
Solid first defensively, but down in a game where they absolutely need to win, and a team that doesn’t score much to boot.
Not the best start.
Statistically, the Jets had the period’s only five on five high danger chance.
More of the Same in the 2nd
Flames out shoot the Jets 10-5, but once again don’t get a single high danger chance five on five.
The Jets add two more on break downs again … the first a Nikita Nesterov turnover on a powerplay, the second a puck that bounces over Juuso Valimaki’s stick.
And just like that they’re cooked.
Grinding away, not giving up much, but generating nothing.
Sorry But Buddy Robinson Isn’t an NHL Hockey Player
Now he’s not tracking too far behind the next closest guy on the roster be it Joakim Nordstrom or Brett Ritchie, but I’d have to say Buddy Robinson just shouldn’t be in the lineup.
He just doesn’t have the processing speed to even cycle the puck like a fourth liner.
He’s a good story, and it’s a lost season so I’m good with it, but they simply have to improve their bottom six and … well … their top six next season.
Hoping we see some AHL youngsters to finish the season.
Special Teams Not That Special
Not that it really mattered, but a huge parameter in this one was special teams.
The Jets scored a powerplay goal in three tries, and added a short handed goal while the Flames were zero for five on their chances with the man advantage.
Not necessarily the difference in a four goal game but certainly a contributing factor.
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 32 Jets 19
Face Offs – Flames 48%
Powerplay – Flames 0/5 Jets 1/3
Player Stats:
Points – This may come as a shock, but not a single Calgary player got a point tonight!
Plus/Minus – There were some players with an even night; a total of eight players.
Shots – Mark Giordano led all shooters with five shots on goal.
Fancy Stats
The Flames held the edge in shot attempts five on five with a 63% margin on the night on period splits of 48%/57% and 83%. In terms of high danger chances though it was 7-3 Winnipeg for 70% on the night. Through shot volume the Flames held an expected goal split of 57%.
Individually the Flames were led by Milan Lucic and Mikael Backlund, who both had 80%+ nights. Chris Tanev, Mark Giordano and Dillon Dube were in the 70s. At the bottom of the pile was Joakim Nordstrom, the only player with a sub 50% night for the Flames.
