Game Takes: Flames 4 Blues 1

October 25th, 2016 | Posted in Game Takes | By: D'Arcy McGrath

I’m not an alarmist, never have been. I tend to underreact more than overreact to results in small sample sizes.

With that I wasn’t finding a bridge to jump from when the Flames floundered their way to a 1-4-1 start, their second straight season where October seemed a lot more spooky than it should with Halloween coming at it’s close.

Tonight the Flame’s walked out their new and improved game execution for the second time in two days on a death valley road trip that could have seen their season really getting piled on, and bested the Blues 4-1 in a building where they pretty much never win. The victory gives the team a 3-4-1 record and pretty much brings them right back into the mix.

So all is right in Flame’s land right?

Not so fast, I don’t overreact the other way either!

The Flow

The Flames pretty much picked things up where they left off in Chicago, well the first 50 minutes of the game in Chicago anyway; jumping on the Blues early, their hosts maybe thinking it would be an easy night. Their jump got them an early powerplay, and just like in Chicago they made good on it with Dennis Wideman left inexplicably wide open in front of Hutton and beat the goaltender high short side. The Flaems doubled their lead a few minutes later when Kris Versteeg made an amazing saucer pass to a charging Derryk Engelland (yeah you read that right) who took the puck to his back hand and beat Hutton clean. The perfect road period did take it’s fair share of dents late however, as the Flames starting coughing up the puck and running around a bit in their own zone. They survive however, and almost make it 3-0 on a Sam Bennett break away with 90 seconds to play but it’s 2-0 Flames after one.

The St. Louis push continued into the second period, pretty much starting from Calgary’s failed early powerplay. The Flames weathered the storm though, kept things to the outside and were able to keep shots and chances to a minimum. By the midway point of the period the Flames were pushing back, and generating chances of their own. With seconds left on another powerplay Sam Bennett moved himself to the middle and had a good chance that hit a leg. Seconds later with the penalty expired he had that same chance again, but this time beat Hutton through a screen for his second of the season to put the Flames up 3-0 through two periods.

The third didn’t go quite as swimmingly for the Flames. They took three minor penalties, two at basically the same time and surrendered as many shots in the third as they did in the previous two periods. Sadly the Blues snapped Brian Elliott’s shut out bid with a two man advantage with Shatenkirk doing the honours, narrowing the Flame’s lead from to two. The Flames once again settled in however, giving up pretty much nothing the rest of the way and then salting things away with maybe one of the nicest empty net goals, featuring three or four pinpoint passes on a breakout.
Three Stars
1. Sam Bennett:Thought he was the best player on the ice. Had a goal and assist, a breakaway, and a missed one timer in a pretty epic night. Has 5 points in the last three games.
2. Brian Elliott: Beats his old teammates with a 23 saves on 24 shots night. Pretty impressive since he went to overtime and had 7 shoot out shots the night before.
3. Derryk Engelland: Scored the game winner in the first period, blocked shots and lugged 20 minutes of action.

Big Save

Carter Hutton made a huge glove save on Dougie Hamilton with about 4 minutes to play in the second period. The Flames were pushing hard sensing a big road win and a fourth goal there would have made the third period almost irrelevant, but he snagged it with his glove through a screen.

The Goat

No real goat in this one. The Blues are a solid team but they came up against a really determined club in the Flames tonight in a game that featured two hard working clubs and not a lot of glaring mistakes.

Mr. Clutch

I’m going to throw a bone to Dennis Wideman who has reacted well to a three game scratch period with a bounce back including a powerplay goal tonight and 20 minutes of action. Definitely pulling the rope from the same side as his teammates.

Odds and Ends

Some peculiar changes to the lineup, as Glen Gulutzan went with fresh legs over the traditional reward for a game well played in Chicago last night. Scratched were fourth liner Freddie Hamilton, and defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka, with 18 year old Matthew Tkachuk and big veteran Niklas Grossman inserted in their place. The Tkachuk addition is a good story as part of his childhood was spent in St. Louis watching his dad with the Blues, putting him on a line with Calgary’s two best rock steady forwards was certainly a good way to work him back in. Grossman hadn’t played since game one in Edmonton, where he was instrumental in two goals against. … So how did Tkachuk do? A few chances but no points. The bottom line for me though? Any winger that can make that move he made on Gunnarson should probably stick. Calgary has maybe 8 players of that skill level with 13 others holding down NHL jobs. … Two assists on Saturday, a goal on Monday, and a breakaway leaving Bouwmeester in his dust tonight, then a huge snipe in the second after a powerplay ran out, anyone else get that feeling that Sam Bennett is adjusting back to the guy we saw in the preseason? Still think the kid has a huge season. … Hard to argue with the Kris Versteeg signing in the past couple of days. Some were calling for a healthy scratch a few days ago but with two goals on Saturday, the shoot out winner last night and an amazing assist on the Engelland goal and later another great pass for Bennett tonight he’s certainly holding his own. … Clearly what we saw in the past 27 hours is a big boost to the hopes of a Flames season, there is little to argue in that. The better players are better again, the team seems to be working harder, adapting to Gulutzan’s system, and playing hockey that suggests they may be a better than average hockey club. But as I said in the opening, not so fast it’s only two games. No team puts in 82 perfect efforts in a season, but the Flames are going to have to put this same game on the ice on home ice again against Ottawa on Friday. It’s like bricks in a wall. One at a time.

Next Up

The Flames are back on home ice when the Senators come a calling on Friday night. Game time 7pm Sportsnet.

Lines:


Gaudreau – Monahan – Chiasson
Versteeg – Bennett – Brouwer
Tkachuk – Backlund – Frolik
Bouma – Stajan – Ferland

Giordano – Brodie
Grossman – Hamilton
Engelland – Wideman

Elliott



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