In the end they just weren’t good enough.
Jacob Markstrom didn’t make enough saves.
The Flames skill players didn’t produce enough to win a series.
Team defense was leaky.
And the opposition was very very good, lets face it. The Oilers finished when they got chances, and were able to play better team defense than many expected in bottling up the Calgary Flames.
Still the game was tied in the third period at 4-4 with what looked like a Blake Coleman go ahead goal potentially pushing the series to a game six. He put the puck in with his skate, the play was reviewed and waived off. As a Flame fan you know the history and the misery; we all knew that was the game right there.
The Oilers win the series 4-1 with a 5-4 overtime victory and will move on to play the winner of the St. Louis/Colorado series.
The Flames move on to a very interesting off season.
The Lineup
What a difference Chris Tanev made to the lineup in game four. The Flames were more or less back to looking like themselves as the defense core got a boost both in goal prevention and puck transition.
All signs point to him staying in, leaving the single issue of dressing seven defensemen and Michael Stone, or brining say Brett Ritchie back into the mix.
So its Elias Lindholm with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund with Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman, Calle Jarnkrok with Dillon Dube and Tyler Toffoli, and then Milan Lucic with Trevor Lewis and then possibly Brett Ritchie if Stone is a scratch.
On the blueline it’s Noah Hanifin with Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington with Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov with Gudbranson. Potentially Michael Stone around to slap some pucks and play the odd shift.
Jacob Markstrom gets the start in the nets.
Playoff Line Metrics (showing most common trios/pairs in order of minutes)
xGF%
Gaudreau – Lindholm – Tkachuk 49.6%
Mangiapane – Backlund – Coleman 60.3%
Dube – Jarnkrok – Toffoli 59.5%
Lucic – Lewis – Ritchie 69.0%
Hanifin – Andersson 53.5%
Zadorov – Stone 62.0%
Kylington – Tanev 56.5%
Goals Saved + Avg
Markstrom +3.0
Playoffs Statistically (Five on Five)
Flames Splits …
CF% 60.8% (1st)
SF% 57.7% (2nd)
GF% 47.7% (9th)
xGF% 58.3% (3rd)
Play Driving Players … (xGF%)
Ritchie 65.5%
Stone 64.8%
Zadorov 63.9%
Gaudreau 60.1%
Coleman 60.0%
Bottom of the list (no one under 50%) … (xGF%)
Hanifin 53.9%
Lucic 55.3%
Andersson 55.5%
Lindholm 56.2%
Toffoli 56.3%
Counting Stats
Shots: Flames 36 Oilers 35
Face Offs: Flames 67% / Oilers 33%
Powerplay: Flames 0-2 / Oilers 1-1
Tentative Start
It was an interesting start.
Normally the team facing elimination would come out house on fire and take it to the visitors in the hopes of jumping out to a quick lead.
But the Flames were really careful to start, not registering a shot until almost the eight minute mark, though having a few blocked and wide.
Don’t get me wrong, Edmonton wasn’t doing much either but it wasn’t the start I expected.
The Flames do get on the board though, the only goal of the first period, when Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman set up Andrew Mangiapane.
Quicker Pace
I watched the first period of the Rangers/Canes game earlier tonight and couldn’t believe how slow and methodical that series is compared to the Calgary-Edmonton battle.
Lots of short passes and dump plays, very little one on one skill, and just an overall grind.
Almost a different sport.
Markstrom Solid Off the Hop
Hardly a surprise that Jacob Markstrom got through the first period without giving up a goal; as the Oilers only had six shots on goal in the period, but a doughnut could do wonders for the guy going forward in the game and the series.
Five on five the high danger chances were marked at two apiece so it wasn’t a complete cake walk but still a pretty solid period defensively for the Flames.
Little did he know what was to come …
He gives up four goals in the second period, but was really solid in the third when the Flames came out pretty flat and were lucky to survive the first five minutes.
He probably should have had the game winner, but then Gaudreau should have engaged Draisaitl on the wall and maybe the play doesn’t happen.
Not a great series for team defense, but certainly not a good series for the goaltender.
Record Setting Second
Wow that was a second.
It’s amazing how much you hate a tie game when your team gave up a lead, but then love a tie game when they get it back.
The 2nd period featured seven goals, sending the game to the third period in a 4-4 deadlock.
The Flames got to a 2-0 lead on a Mikael Backlund goal before the Oilers scored three straight, seemingly putting the Flames season in jeopardy. Not to be outdone the Flames come back with two in 16 seconds to take a 4-3 lead, but then Edmonton again and it’s tied.
Four goals in 1:11 of hockey … a new Stanley Cup Playoff record.
Great and well, ugly.
Backlund PPP
Proven playoff performer.
His naysayers are hopefully paying attention, because that’s two straight series, and two straight playoffs where Mikael Backlund has elevated his game and clearly proven his worth on his long term contract.
The Flames longest tenured player had a first period assist, and a second period goal to pace the Flames to what looked like an important 2-0 lead in the second period.
In the third his drive caused what looked like the go ahead goal, the staving goal, but it was called back on a Coleman redirect into the net with his skate.
Always solid, and a great lower tier second line center, when the puck drops in the playoffs he’s a very impactful hockey player.
Miserable Night for Top Pairing
Their overall metrics were near the top of the team, but the results? Putrid.
Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson didn’t have a whole lot go right on the night as they were a combined -7 on the night, with Andersson leading the way at -4.
The additional minus had Andersson caught up the ice with the game 4-3 Calgary and Nikita Zadorov out for Hanifin defending a three on one.
The Coleman Call
Honestly a bit surprised.
I mean I see it … he put his foot out to put the puck in the net.
But he didn’t have a kicking motion in my mind, and he was being ridden into the post by an Oilers defender. And wasn’t the puck going to go into the net if Coleman wasn’t there?
Not sure I saw enough to overturn the call on the ice, which was a goal, especially one as big as that to a team down 3-1 in a series with six minutes to play in a tied elimination game.
More to the Battle of Alberta playoff lore I guess.
Tanev Injuries
Word is the man has a torn labrum, sprained neck and a separated shoulder.
That’s incredible.
He’s getting surgery soon, but how do you play through that level of pain?
What a free agent signing the man has been. I thought four years was a bit long, and the price tag a bit high, now I wish they had four more years on it.
Fancy Stats
This was a very even hockey game five on five, and with that you tempt fate if you’re the hockey team facing elimination. Five on five the Flames had 50% of the shot attempts with period splits of 53%/57%/38% and 50% respectively. In terms of five on five expected goals, the Flames had 47%, and for high danger scoring chances the Flames had 50%, with a 10-10 split. The Flames were lucky to escape the first half of the third period. They had the only high danger chance in overtime.
In all situations the Flames had 51% of the shot attempts, 48% of the expected goals, and 48% of the high danger splits.
Individually the Flames were led by Andrew Mangiapane with 63% in terms of xGF%. His center Mikael Backlund was next up with 56%. Michael Stone, Nikita Zadorov, Erik Gudbranson, Noah Hanifin, Blake Coleman and Rasmus Andersson were the only other players above the 50% mark. At the bottom was Trevor Lewis at 24%, and Tyler Toffoli, Oliver Kylington, Milan Lucic and Chris Tanev in the 30s.
