Game Takes: Canucks 5 Flames 1

April 13th, 2014 | Posted in Game Takes | By: D'Arcy McGrath

Game Skinny

My biggest fear coming into this game was for Gaudreau to light it up putting way too much pressure on next season. His teammates helped to make sure that didn’t happen as the Flames laid down a stinker in Vancouver to complete their season, dropping a 5-1 outcome to the Canucks.

For a team that worked so hard all season to stay in games its a shame that their last turn on the ice may leave a bad taste in Calgary mouths over the summer. It shouldn’t.

Difference Makers

There really wasn’t one.

The Flames played their most disjointed, disinterested game in months to wind down the season, so nobody stood out as difference makers worthy of mention.

Development Diary

Gaudreau’s first goal wasn’t a pretty one, as he almost fanned on a tip, but led the puck past Markstrom and into the cage for his first NHL goal. However the rest of his ten minutes were solid. He made a lot of composure plays and tape to tape passes, including a great spinorama behind the Canuck’s cage leaving Burrows lost.

Bill Arnold was -1 (not alone on that stat tonight), was decent on draws and almost scored on a Mark Giordano feed late in the third. Good first NHL game for the solid center.

Monahan made the play to the point that lead to Gaudreau’s goal but didn’t get a point as it hit two Flames off of Breen’s point shot. Almost scored on a short handed breakaway and looked pretty composed with the puck all night. One of the better Flames tonight

Mark Cundari had a rough night, as he finished -3 and was in trouble often on his shifts. Not a great showing.

Chris Breen had another quiet night which once again is a good thing. He and Gaudreau were the only plus players and he picked up an assist on Gaudreau’s goal.

Draft Implications / Scoreboard

Can’t believe how well this section worked out. If you had told me when the Flames beat the Devils a week ago that the Flames would find their way to 4th I wouldn’t have believed you. Fourth isn’t going to get you a sure fire top three guy, but they are the team in waiting for any surprise that happens above them. If the Oilers are facing Sam Bennett it wouldn’t be a shock if they went with Draisaitl to avoid adding another less than huge forward to their stable.

Ramblings

Sure seemed generational to see Sean Monahan fish the puck out of the net and take it to the bench for Johnny Gaudreau
. Hopefully the duo hook up for many more going forward. … With TJ Brodie on the sidelines, Chris Butler is the only player to play all 82 games for the Flames. … Arnold and Gaudreau are the 11th and 12th players to see their first NHL action. Gaudreau joins Sean Monahan, Agostino, Knight, and Grandlund in scoring their first NHL goals this season. … Scary sight to see Daniel Sedin on the ice not moving, and then stretchered out and off to hospital. The hit was from an angle but still largely from behind by a player not known for dirty hits at all. I’m sure Byron feels awful. … Hartley really had his lines in a blender for the last game of the season. After the first he rotated all his left wings, giving us a look at Gaudreau with Hudler and Stajan, and then later with Colborne and Monahan. In the third he mixed things up even further, the BC players played apart the last 40 minutes. …

Roster Moves

The Flames introduced the two Eagles, Gaudreau and Arnold to the lineup, their 41st and 42nd players to suite up for the Flames. Mike Cammalleri and TJ Brodie missed because of injuries.

Where Do They Go From Here?

The golf course!



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