Now that was a hockey game!
Calgary and Montreal in Montreal wearing the opposite jerseys as you’d see in the 80s putting on a show in a tight fought come from behind overtime victory for the Flames.
Calgary road the youth to the win with some great goaltending by Dustin Wolf, the game’s first goal by Connor Zary, and a then a huge finish by Matt Coronato scoring late to tie it and early in overtime to win the game 3-2.
The Flames move two games over .500 and continue their road trip in Boston on Thursday night.
Boom!
The Lineup
One change to the lineup and a shuffle within for punishment / praise?
No change to the third line with Mikael Backlund centering Blake Coleman and Matt Coronato. The rest of the lines are somewhat different when you look at the “normal lines” for the past four games. Yegor Sharangovich continues to play center with Jonathan Huberdeau and the no longer relegated Anthony Mantha. Nazem Kadri no longer centers the kid line as one of his kids are in detention. He lines up with Connor Zary (reduced ice time last game, but still holds his position) and Andrei Kuzmenko (who was in the penalty box two games ago, but bounced back against Edmonton). As a result a fourth line with Justin Kirkland in for Kevin Rooney, and centering Ryan Lomberg and the demoted Martin Pospisil.
No change on the blueline; top pairing with Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl. Mackenzie Weegar with Daniil Miromanov and Brayden Pachal with Tyson Barrie.
Back to Dustin Wolf in goal.
Pre Game Stats
Some team stats through 12 games …
Calgary has the 15th most five on five shot attempts in the league. When it comes to prevention they give up 7th most shot attempts.
Calgary has the 17th most high danger chances per game, and the 7th least high danger chances against.
The Flames are 25th in xGF60, and the 8th best xGA60.
They are doing a pretty good job on the prevention side, but somewhat challenged when it comes to offence creation.
They are 22nd in xGF%, trending towards that top ten pick area in terms of driving play.
The Flames all situation PDO continues to hover near the breakeven 1.00 level with below average shooting percentage and above average goaltending.
Wolf’s Start
Simply amazing when under fire in the first period; the game could have essentially been over.
Way less work in the second and third as the Flames took the game away from the Habs five on five.
Beat on a powerplay goal when the Flames PK broke down, and on a shorthanded two on one … he didn’t really have a chance on either.
Teams comes back and Wolf gets the “W”.
Montreal puts up 3.63 in expected goals in all situations, Wolf gives up two with some help from Jamie Pringle.
Coronato and the Backlund Line
First off the line … what a mix. You have two vets that always play on the right side of the puck and a young guy with hands and new found speed that gets in on the forecheck more often than not and wins puck battles.
Really driving play and making a difference.
Now Matt Coronato … has he arrived? That was clearly his non preseason career game to date scoring the tying goal late on a laser, and then doing the same in overtime to win the game.
Hats off to Huska for starting him in overtime and realizing the kid was on.
Coronato is faster, and stronger … his added speed gets him to places to make a difference. It looks like he’s extended his fuse so he can now put it altogether.
Very good news for Calgary.
Odds and Sods
I like the accountability, I do. But it seems a little over the top of late doesn’t it? In the last four games we’ve seen all of Anthony Mantha, Andrei Kuzmenko, Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil all demoted for sins like not moving your feet or taking offensive zone penalties. The man must know what he’s doing but sometimes players on rosters with limited skill make mistakes that cost the team a goal. Happens. Personally I don’t put Pospisil’s high stick in the same category as lazy or dumb penalties. … Wonder if a team has every played three games in Western Canada with a shut out in every game? Jersey shut out Vancouver, was shut out by Calgary and shut out Edmonton. … Say what you want about Jonathan Huberdeau’s contract but he’s a lot harder to play against this season. That first shift was spot on for winning puck battles and creating offence. Love playing in the Bell Center. … Dustin Wolf was simply incredible in the first period tonight. Elite goaltending. Such a good sign. … Anthony Mantha wasn’t out to start the second period after getting injured late in the first period, right after his partial break. … It’s my bi-annual time to bitch about jerseys with strings to nowhere. If you want traditional hockey strings on the neck of a jersey, have an open V with eye holes. If you want it closed, have it closed. Don’t have strings that just end in the middle of the jersey and go nowhere and do nothing. … Rasmus Andersson’s short handed attack in the second was so reminiscent of Lanny McDonald. Both right handed, Lanny always moved his hand down the stick and used one arm going around the net. Andresson has it down. … How to Weegar and Sharangovich (the entire left side of the penalty kill box) both head into the right corner and leave Gallagher all alone? … Would love to hear how that Strubel play on Kuzmenko wasn’t a penalty. Looked pretty obvious to me. … How about a night in Montreal where the score sheet reads Zary, Coronato, Coronato? Youth is served in Calgary.
Fancy Stats
Montreal was clearly the better team in the first period, but the Flames survived it. From that point on it was almost all Calgary five on five but they couldn’t convert enough to overcome their special team woes. The Flames, five on five, had 60% (39%/70%/74%) of the shot attempts, 53% of the high danger chances, and 55% of the expected goals. In all situations they had 55% of the shot attempts, 48% of the high danger chances and 50% of the expected goals.
Individually, the Flames were led by Anthony Mantha (who went down early with an injury) with an xGF% of 77%. He was joined in the 70s by Andrei Kuzmenko with 76%. Justin Kirkland had a miserable night, ironically on the day where he plays the game that no longer makes him waiver ineligible with 11%.
