So much talk coming into this game about struggling star hockey players and droughts offensively. The Star’s Jamie Benn had 2 goals on the season and was scoreless in his last 9 games. The Flame’s Johnny Gaudreau was scoreless in 7 contests and also had only two on the season.
So good news and bad news for the Calgary Flames as Johnny Gaudreau got off the snide (the good) with two goals tonight, but as often is the case the ying had to come with the yang, as the Flames also jump started Jamie Benn with two goals in a 4-2 Dallas win on Thursday night.
Practice as they might, the Flames lost the special teams battle again, a symptom that most often leads to death in today’s NHL. The club has now lost 5 of their last 6 after winning three in a row as they continue to dig a deep hole in the West.
Tick tick tick ….
The Flow
A few missteps early but the Flames eventually settled into one of their best home starts of the season. At the midpoint in the period the Flames had a shot lead of 8-1, including a powerplay that actually showed some crisp passing and confidence, but no goals; baby steps right? It’s good to have jump, but you also need the odd bounce and the Flames had anything but when the Stars opened the scoring. Sam Bennett turns the puck over inside the offensive blueline, but does his job to get back and break things up. The puck slides into the corner where Bennett slides off a check, runs into Hamlton and falls down with the puck sliding into the slot just out of the reach of Jokipakka for Korpikoski who wires it past Elliott. Luck had little to do with the Star’s second goal as the Bennett line got victimized again, this time with Brouwer and Bennett caught up ice on the Stars putting on a clinic for a 4 on 3 goal by Jamie Benn. 2-0 Dallas with the Stars coming all the way back on the shot clock to even things at 10 after 20.
Now that’s more like it! The Flames had a solid second period, erasing a 2-0 lead and tying things up with two markers from Johnny Gaudreau. First a Brett Kulak has a shot from the point get deflected and go off the post, Gaudreau swept in from behind Lehtonen and tapped it home before getting planted on his rear end. A few minutes later he scores his 4th of the season on a well orchestrated deflection play cruising through the slot and taking a slap pass from Kulak again. The Flames had a few more chances, including two great opportunities shorthanded but the period ends tied at 2, shots 10-4 Calgary in clearly the best 2nd period of the season on home ice.
The third started a little rough with the Backund line giving up a three alarm chance to the Benn line with Elliott bailing them out. Then the teams settled into a back and forth contest that looked to have a shoot out written all over it. A costly penalty by Alex Chiasson, losing control of his stick in the offensive zone and high sticking a Stars player, led to the powerplay game winner by Benn and the losing streak continues. The Flames had a B chance or two but couldn’t solve the always struggling Lehtonen before Antoine Rousell hit the empty net on a fluke play to put things away.
1. Jamie Benn:Struggling? Come to Calgary! We’ll help you out! Benn scores two goals in 20 minutes of action to lead his team to victory.
2. Johnny Gaudreau: Scores two second period goals to erase the Dallas lead and get the Flames back into it.
3. Antoine Rousell:Scores two goals including the empty netter, and comes to the defense of his teammate Tyler Seguin after getting crunched by Ferland with a spirited fight.
Big Save
With the Flames napping during the first shift in the third period in a 2-2 tie leaving Brian Elliott to come up huge on back to back saves off of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn of all people. Great save at a huge time of the game.
The Goat
Alex Chiasson. A reckless player most nights, as he and Sam Bennett seem to be the poster children for taking silly penalties in the offensive zone. Tonight Bennett was clean on the penalty side (not so good five on five in plus minus), but Chiasson took a penalty for falling on Lehtonen in the first, and then a high sticking minor in the third giving the Stars the go ahead goal.
Mr. Clutch
If only the whole team was made up of Brett Kulaks. His first two point game of his career with two assists on the Gaudreau goals, and a +2 on the night to move his season to +7 in his 6 games played, and that says something on a team that has guys in minus double digits.
Odds and Ends
The Flames went 11 games injury free, an oddity in today’s NHL in any season, but that has all come to a close in the past week. Injuries to Kris Versteeg, Lance Bouman and now Matthew Tkachuk. None of them are all that serious but the Flames have Hunter Shinkaruk and now Linden Vey up to fill the spots, and when you’re losing change is good. … Saw on Twitter that Johnny Gaudreau’s mom is in town (would assume his dad is too), and you have to hope that might give the little guy a boost and get his and the Flame’s season back on track. The Flames need a spark, and hopefully playing in front of his parents may be enough to get him going, and perhaps the powerplay going, and with that the team going. The West is sputtering along so they have time, but not that much. … A good example of confidence is the change in the first period from when it was 0-0 and the Flames pushing the play all over the ice, to the change when the Stars scored their first goal. A mistake often made by the media is to ignore the role of the other team and in this case the Stars get credit for turning it on, but the Flames were noticeably jittery handling the puck. Clearly feeling the pressure to get things on track. … Micheal Ferland has had a solid start to the season but I just loved his hit and then fight in the second period, it really shows the impact he can have on a game. He hammers Seguin behind the net with a heavy heavy but clean hit, and then has a great fight with Rousell afterwards. It changed the momentum of the game and got Calgary on a roll tying up the game. … What was with the ice tonight at the Saddledome? Pucks were bouncing all over the place throughout the game. … Ever notice how good of a job the Keg does on their commercials? Damn I want to go right away every time I see cool people eating steaks. … Has anyone seen Hunter Shinkaruk? Anyone? The kid has been up for three games but I honestly have yet to see him do anything on the ice. The upside of that is the lack of glaring mistakes that standout, but the downside is a winger with skill not getting a whole lot done. In all fairness his linemates Troy Brouwer and Sam Bennett have also been in a funk of late, but I hope the kid breaks out soon. … A game that the Flames certainly won’t result in a bag skate as the Flames outplayed the Stars for all but the last 7 minutes of the first period. But when the season starts as it is, moral victories just won’t get it done. Glen Gulutzan must be pulling his hair out with what to do next. The powerplay did look better tonight, at least at times thought they were 0/2 and now 0/26 on home ice for the season.
Next Up
Saturday night the New York Rangers come to town to take on the Flames, second game of the Hockey Night in Canada double header, 8pm CBC.
Lines:
Gaudreau – Monahan – Chiasson
Shinkaruk – Bennett – Brouwer
Ferland – Backlund – Frolik
Vey – Stajan – Hamilton
Giordano – Brodie
Jokipakka – Hamilton
Kulak – Engelland
Elliott
