Have we ever seen a starting 40 minutes like that?
A visiting team with only five shots on goal through two periods, none of which even remotely close to a scoring chance?
The Flames were full marks for not looking past the Detroit Red Wings last night, but even still had some tense moments in the third period with a 1-0 lead (that should have been four or five) before steering home a 3-0 victory.
The win gives the Flames two wins in a row after the loss to the Capitals on Monday night, and three wins in the first four games of this ugly five games in seven nights schedule.
Next up a tired Flames team will be in Denver to take on the Avalanche tonight.
The Lineup
You wouldn’t expect any optional changes for the Flames after their impressive win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. But they do have a forced change on the blueline with Oliver Kylington out with a lower body injury and Michael Stone coming in to replace him.
So up front it’s Elias Lindholm with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund centering the shut down line with Blake Coleman and Trevor Lewis, Adam Ruzicka with Andrew Mangiapane and Tyler Toffoli, and a fourth line of Sean Monahan with Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube. They’re likely still a bottom six forward short, but they are finding some balance with this set up.
On the blueline, where we almost never see change, there is the one noted above, so it’s Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson, Michael Stone with Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov with Erik Gudbranson.
The Flames have been giving the third pairing a lot more ice in recent weeks, and that will really pay off with a top four defenseman out tonight.
In goal it’s Jacob Markstrom, as the Flames try to secure their third win in the first four games of this vicious five games in seven nights nightmare.
Line Metrics
xGF%
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk 62.7%
Lewis – Backlund – Coleman 54.3%
Mangiapane – Ruzicka – Toffoli 62.5%
Lucic – Monahan – Dube 56.6%
Hanifin – Andersson 58.1%
Stone – Tanev NA
Zadorov – Gudbranson 57.1%
Goals Saved + Avg
Markstrom +11.3
Who They Playing?
The rebuilding Red Wings are not a play driving club as you’d expect, sitting 29th in terms of CF% with the 30th ranked five on five team offence, and the 23rd ranked team defense. In terms of expected goals the Wings are ranked 23rd with exactly the same ranking (23rd) for both xGF60 and xGA60.
They do have some pop, as they have the 12th best team five on five shooting percentage, but the 29th ranked team five on five save percentage. They’re finishing well, but not getting the saves they need.
The Wings have the 26th ranked powerplay, and the 30th ranked penalty kill.
Honestly this is a trap game with the Wings sandwiched around measuring stick games against Tampa and Colorado. The Flames beat the Wings 9 out of 10 times with how consistent they have been.
But you have to play the games.
Lindholm with 30
Such a season of streaks for Elias Lindholm.
Everything the touched in October went in the net, then he had a quiet November through mid January, and then a complete heater since to score 30 goals for the first time in his career.
Amazing 200 foot player, he impacts the game in so many ways, but getting to that 30 mark cements him as an elite offensive player alone.
That’s a franchise changing trade.
Consistency
Just can’t get over how consistent this Calgary Flames team is game in and game out.
With Detroit on the docket, a non playoff team sandwiched between games against two juggernauts in Tampa and Colorado, you’d almost expect a team to come out a little flat, and have to fight to get themselves into the hockey game.
Not this team.
The Flames just come out and play their system, run up a 19-1 shot advantage in the first period and a 1-0 lead.
Textbook hockey.
Zadorov Penalties
That’s four straight times short for the Flames on a single player’s penalties.
Not sure that’s ever happened before.
A double minor for high sticking and another penalty last game, another high sticking penalty tonight.
Is that a bad run of luck or a player that’s careless with his stick? Likely a bit of both as it seems like very few are reckless players.
But Sutter doesn’t like players to take penalties, so Zadorov could be heading to the doghouse if he keeps it up.
Third Period Let Up
With complete dominance through two periods, it’s interesting how close the Flames came to blowing it when their details went south for the first 5-10 minutes of the third period.
It was the only time in the game where the Wings had any sort of push, and they came pretty close to tying up a game they had no business being in.
Truth be told it was more of a bend and not break, as the Wings only had one high danger chance in the third, and a total of three in the game.
Was a relief to see Tyler Toffoli essentially put the game away.
Toffoli Clutch
And speaking of Toffoli, he’s still on that point per game heater to start his time in Calgary … now 13 points in 13 games.
He was around it all night, had some really good chances, but it wasn’t until a powerplay in the third that he found the net with a bang bang play from Matthew Tkachuk to score the insurance goal.
His line with Adam Ruzicka and Andrew Mangiapane are really starting to find each other, generating chances, and sustaining some offensive zone time.
Lets Get Out of Here
Had to chuckle at the face of Darryl Sutter when Blake Coleman’s goal went to a second review.
With the travel to Denver, Rick Ball aptly pointed out the coach’s desire to get this game over with.
Saturday night game, then travel, then a time change is about as bad as a weekend travel can go, especially when back to backs on a weekend usually don’t cross an international border.
Yikes.
Markstrom Doughnut #9
He literally had nothing to do for the game’s first 4o minutes, and then had to be quite efficient for minutes 41 to 50 in picking up his ninth shut out of the season.
The telecast did a great job of showing his five saves through the first two periods one after another and literally he wasn’t tested at all.
Tough game for a goaltender.
His shut out is his 9th of the season, and now sits one back of Miikka Kiprusoff for the all time Flames record.
He’d have that mark now if not for that odd bounce off the official in the Edmonton game last week.
Rasmus Smokin
With an assist on Elias Lindholm’s goal, that makes 15 points in 15 game for Rasmus Andersson.
That’s a clip he likely won’t maintain, but what a rebound from an off season for the 2nd round pick.
Now we’re back to loving his contract and where his career is going.
I’d put Andersson’s pop this year just behind Darryl Sutter and the top line (Gaudreau) for why this team went from bubble to contender this year.
He’s now 19th in defenseman scoring this year.
Monahan & The Fourth Line
That’s back to back games with Monahan showing some bite, something we’ve literally never seen in his career.
He was physical in board battles all night and took a boarding penalty in the second period.
But more importantly his line was dominant five on five generating a lot of zone time, and scoring chances. With the top two lines holding an edge most shifts, and the third line emerging with Adam Ruzicka, getting a solid fourth line night was huge.
Expectations of corners turned etc have to be tempered though, with the level of opposition.
Still a good sign though.
So What’s Up With Oliver?
Late scratch with a lower body injury.
Hopefully it’s not serious and just a bump, but we saw what it did to the Flames system with the Tanev pairing being under water despite the level of opposition.
Really don’t want to see that pairing in Denver tonight.
Special Teams
Another concise victory for the Flames on home ice on special teams, as their powerplay scored the first and second goal, and they were perfect on the penalty kill.
League wide the Flames have the 11th best powerplay and the 3rd best penalty kill.
If you combine the two percentages, the Flames have the third best special teams in the league behind Carolina and Toronto, and just ahead of the Rangers and Blues.
Standings and Record
The win gives the Flames 79 points in 58 games good for a .681 win percentage.
With the LA Kings losing last night, the Flames now have a seven game lead in the division, and still with two games in hand. It’s always harder to call something when you are following the team that’s leading, but I’d have zero chance writing off catching a team that far ahead.
They have a 12 point lead on the first team out of the playoffs as well.
The Flames likely only need 18 points in 24 games to secure a playoff spot.
Calgary caught Toronto for win percentage league wide, at .681, good for a tie for 5th overall.
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 43 Red Wings 19
Face Offs: Flames 59% / Red Wings 41%
Powerplay: Flames 2-3 / Red Wings 0-2
Fancy Stats
Here’s a great example of underlying stats completely matching what you seen in a hockey game. The Flames were very dominant in the first two periods and shut have been home and cool with a four to six goal lead. Five on five the Flames had 63% of the shot attempts with period splits of 73%/74% and 39% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 64%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 77%, with a 10-3 split.
In all situations the Flames had 60% of the shot attempts, 65% of the expected goals, and 79% of the high danger splits.
The Flames were lead individually by Erik Gudbranson and Milan Lucic who both had 81% of the five on five shot attempts when he was on the ice. Sean Monahan and Nikita Zadarov were in the 70s. Only two players were under water Chris Tanev and Michael Stone.
