Getting off to a good start, a big key in a successful season and a playoff berth.
The Flames, having changed their coaching staff were always at risk of said slow start because of a slough of system changes, not to mention a key camp injury and a star player holding out.
Luckily they had an easy start to the season with back to back games against a decade’s old doormat in the Edmonton Oilers, it’s like extended training camp right?
Think again, the Flames dropped their second straight to their provincial little brothers, this time by dominating in the first period and then getting crushed in all facets of the game the rest of the way in a 5-3 loss on Friday night.
Zero wins, two losses, and a whole lot of worry in Calgary.
The Flow
Quick start in this one again, but this time in favour of the red side. The Flames jumped on the Oilers early and were rewarded when Sean Monahan jumped on a Derryk Engelland goal post rebound to make it 1-0 Calgary. If there was a problem in the first period it was not paying attention to McDavid on the ice, as the Oiler star had a partial breakaway, foiled by Elliott, but then a complete breakaway that resulted in a goal tying the game at one. The Flames kept pushing though, and were rewarded when Michael Frolik scored on an odd one, turning and firing shortside and alluding Talbot. Calgary continues to pour it on finishing the period with 24 shots and a 2-1 lead.
What went right in the first period for the Flames certaily didn’t go all that well in the second. The 24 on the shot clock only ticked forward three more times in 20 minutes as the Flames took too many penalties, spent too much time chasing and not dictating and had absolutely zero flow both five on five or with the powerplay on two attempts. The Oilers tied the game on a powerlay, their second of the period when Jordan Eberle was able to outmuscle Matt Stajan to slide the puck past a fallen Elliott. Later in the period with the teams playing four on four the Oilers received their third powerplay of the period but went shotless. Flames out played and lucky to be tied given the poor second stanza.
Could things get worse? Of course they can! The Flames spend the first shift of the period hemmed in their own zone, eventually taking the predicted penalty sending the Oilers to their 66th powerplay of the night. This time a tic tac toe goal is finished off by Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers have their first lead of the game. The period grinds down a bit from there until the Flames get a powerplay chance of their own. Dennis Wideman attempts to get the puck back to linemate TJ Brodie but instead feeds Letestu who walks in and makes it 4-2 Edmonton. Not good. Calgary makes it interesting when Kris Versteeg found Jyrki Jokkipakka cruising in from the blueline with a backhand pass who goes top corner on Talbot to make it interesting. With the goalie pulled the Flames send in Gaudreau who bobbles the puck, the play goes back to the neutral zone and the Oilers send Draisaitl in for his 2nd of the period.
1. Connor McDavid: Didn’t have to change much from Wednesday. He did get one less goal in his three points though. Kid sucks.
2. Leon Draisaitl: Scores the go ahead goal in the third plus the clincher into the empty net and adds an assist.
3. Kris Versteeg: Made a great pass for his first point as a Flames and had jam all night. One of the team’s few plus players.
Big Save
The Flames were rolling early, but so too was their goaltender looking to shake off a tough first game in Flames colours and did just that stopping both Connor McDavid and Mark Letestu on breakaways in the first period. What a way to put an exclamation point on a bounce back game.
The Goat
Created three clear cut or odd man breaks by turnovers on his own. Only one of them resulted in goals but he was a tire fire the whole night.
Mr. Clutch
Deryk Engelland was great for a #6 dman tonight. Hits a goal post which resulted in an assist, came to the rescue of Johnny Gaudreau when he was slashed by Patrick Maroon, and was a pain the backside to Oilers near Elliott all night. Warrior. Really not minding that contract as much as I thought I would.
Odds and Ends
The Flames made the much anticipated change to their defense pairings after the debacle on Wednesday night in Edmonton. The plan was to have a good defender on each pairing but that of course also results in a weaker defender on each pairing, something that backfired in the provincial capital. Grossman was a healthy scratch tonight, the player that took most of the ire from Wednesday, somewhat unfairly in my estimation. Yes he coughed the puck up on the first goal, but the second was a lack of coverage by an 18 year old, not a bad play by the lumbering blueliner. The forwards were left unchanged but they did swap Micheal Ferland for Lance Bouma in terms of lines. … The first period had me very excited about the club’s forward lines. They really looked to have four lines that can play the style that Gulutzan wants to play. The top line seemed to find a lot more chemistry together as they settle in, the Bennett line was hopping with Matthew Tkachuk playing his best pro game to date (preseason or regular), the Backlund line has been well Backlund, but the fourth line with Ferland and Chiasson flanking Stajan was great and wearing out defenders down low. Very promising. But then the second period came along. So what to make of that? The Oilers made adjustment? The Flames sagged? A natural push back? All are fine for explanations, but then where was the push back or adjustments from the Flames? Not a good sign… Are the Flames susceptible to the home run stretch pass? We saw three breakaways in the first game of the season, and a clear four in tonight’s game not to mention a few near misses. The Wideman gaff can happen, but it seems that middle blueliner has been told to hold the line when most coaches would leak them into the neutral zone to prevent against a failed pinch. … The Flames were 54% in the face off circle after going 60% in game one of the season, a huge improvement from last season that must be tempered as they played the same team twice, a team not known to be dot kings. … Oilers were 2/4 on the powerplay, the Flames zero for 5. … The Flames out shot the Oilers 35-28 on the night after a 41-28 mark on Wednesday. Guessing the scoring chance edge went to Edmonton however.
Next Up
The Flames have their first back to back of the season, as they travel to Vancouver to play the Canucks tomorrow night at 8pm HNIC. The game will be the Canuck’s first action of the season.
Lines:
Gaudreau – Monahan – Versteeg
Tkachuk – Bennett – Brouwer
Bouma – Backlund – Frolik
Ferland – Stajan – Chiasson
Giordano – Brodie
Jokkipakka – Hamilton
Engelland – Wideman
Elliott
