The Flames were a plucky group tonight, don’t let the score fool you.
But in the end they didn’t have the finish to beat Oettinger, nor the goaltending to match the Dallas side in a lopsided 6-2 loss in Dallas on Sunday night.
The lost moves the Flames to 1-4-2 in their last seven games.
Is this a slide? Or do the Flames find that gear and go on a run again?
They continue to struggle on the road.
Next up they visit Nashville on Tuesday night.
The Lineup
A big day for Ryan Lomberg (wife delivering a baby) has the winger away from the team for today’s contest with Andrei Kuzmenko stepping back in to take his place (after a two game absence).
Connor Zary up the middle between call up Walker Duehr and Blake Coleman, Nazem Kadri with Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil, Mikael Backlund between Yegor Sharangovich and Matt Coronato, and Kevin Rooney with Jakob Pelletier and Kuzmenko.
One the blueline we see Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl. Mackenzie Weegar with Daniil Miromanov. And Jake Bean with Brayden Pachal on the third pairing.
Dustin Wolf with the start after sitting out three straight (illness, and then a Vladar shut out).
Pre Game Stats Dive
Want an example of getting off to a good start?
How about the work of both Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr in their two games up with the Flames.
Calgary’s leading forward for expected goals / 60 is Blake Coleman at 2.71/60, a solid number.
Jakob Pelletier is sitting at 3.94/60 through two games, Walker Duehr just back with 3.87/60. Pelletier has had the actual success to with a goal and a GF/60 at 3.79.
Clearly sample size suggests those monstrous numbers are silly, but you can’t put a good run together without two good games, the key now is where they take it from here.
Wrangler’s Beat
Missing two key forwards for three straight games?
No problem …back to back to back wins for the team that has now won four in a row sweeping both the Moose and Tucson.
Individually, Rory Kerins continues to roll (without his set up guy Pelletier), and remains a point per game plus player. Stepping up with Pelletier and Duehr up with the Flames have been Dryden Hunt (7 points in his last three games) and William Stromgren (7 points in his last 5 games, and points in 5 straight).
Devin Cooley continues to be 2nd in save percentage, trailing only Askarov from the Sharks.
Wolf’s Start
He game up six, so he’s not going to tell you he had a good game.
That stats back that up.
Only 2.39 in expected goals in all situations and he gives up six, including an own fault goal in the third period that was a back breaker.
Dustin Wolf was a great story in November, you knew there would be a course correction to some extent.
He’ll bounce back.
Odds and Sods
Interesting to see a fourth line with Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier. Is that a push upward of skill that gives both players a chance to solidify things? I personally didn’t see Kuzmenko as not working hard or mailing it in. But he certainly drifted away from his strengths, and with that maybe a reset was needed…. Speaking of lineups, it sure looks like Jake Bean has grabbed that 6th spot for now and the conceivable future. … On the last road trip the Flames took too many penalties, and then struggled mightily in killing them off. Tonight in the first period they take three minors, but in this case two of them were pretty sketch (so to was the only Dallas penalty in the first period). Stay out of the game! … Have to think it helps a young fourth liner like Jakob Pelletier to kill penalties and stay in the game instead of rotting on the bench as a fourth liner. … Five on five the Flames were pretty solid through 40 minutes, but the powerplay gave up a shorty in the first, and a just after shorty in the second. … Ryan Huska changed up the bottom part of his lineup midway through the second period. Kuzmenko up to play with Zary and Coleman, and Duehr down to the fourth line to play with Rooney and Pelletier. Kuzmenko made some nice plays tonight. You have to have him in the lineup in my opinion. And in limited time together it appeared that Zary was a pretty good foil for his skill set. … Calgary dominates the first five minutes of the third, but then get run over late as the Stars run away with it.
Fancy Stats
The Flames had some good five on five shot volume, but clearly lost the battle in the ten bell chances and with it the hockey game. The Flames, five on five, had 59% (43%/67%/60%) of the shot attempts, 38% of the high danger chances, and 53% of the expected goals. In all situations they had 52% of the shot attempts, 32% of the high danger chances and 44% of the expected goals.
Individually, the Flames were led by Daniil Miromanov with a xGF% of 85% on the night. Just back was his defense partner Mackenzie Weegar at 82%. Martin Pospisil, Connor Zary and Andrei Kuzmenko were in the 70s. Kevin Rooney was at the bottom of the list with a 3% night. Ouch!
