Game Takes: Oilers 1 Flames 0

December 9th, 2018 | Posted in Game Takes | By: D'Arcy McGrath

Three games in four nights, missing your best defenseman and your shut down center in an enemy building without last change. That’s a pretty stacked deck against a rested team with a generational speedster that has been reeling off victories under a new coach, yet the Flames held their own in a 1-0 loss in Edmonton on Sunday night.

The string of five straight wins comes to an end, but the team will get Mark Giordano so all in all not a bad weekend with a split given the circumstances.

The Flames were “off” tonight. The top line was out of sync, they couldn’t seem to generate a whole lot off the rush as per the usual, and they got themselves on the wrong side of the penalty parade

Line Up Changes

Just like last night, it was a real hodge podge for the Flames when it came to the lineup card.

David Rittich took the cage for Mike Smith with back to backs, the defense group stayed the same, with the one skater change being Anthony Peluso in for Austin “scratch me again I dare ya!” Czarnik.

More on that switch later.

Game of Inches

The Flames only gave up five high danger scoring chances in the game, and eight overall compared to Calgary’s ten, despite the Oilers getting five of the seven powerplay chances.

The game’s only goal came on a Connor McDavid one timer off a broken play that had a pass almost intercepted before Alex Chiasson adjusted and flipped the puck to his captain.

That was it.

David Rittich was solid in stopping two breakaways early in the second, and Mikko Koskinen held the fort in the last half of the game when the Flames seemed to generate more chances than their hosts.

Penalty Calls

I don’t have a problem with the imbalance of calls in the game, that happens.

What I can’t stand however is the arbitrary use of the the extra minor before a fighting major. Game to game, week to week, season to season, there is no rhymre or reason to this call and it’s frustrating. Milan Lucic hits Travis Hamonic very late in the first period, and Anthony Peluso comes to his rescue. No call for Lucic, fine they missed it, but why hand out the extra minor to Peluso on the play? Just let it be.

The last time these two teams played Darnell Nurse was hell bent on fighting Sam Bennett, after getting lit up at center ice a few minutes earlier. He held and whacked, and punched Bennett before he finally dropped the gloves and went with Nurse. No extra call.

There shouldn’t be that level of inconsistency.

Not N’Sync

Calgary’s top line had their looks and zone time, but as a trio they just seemed a little out of whack compared to recent games.

Johnny Gaudreau spinning and bobbing but not really going anywhere. Sean Monahan holding on to the puck too long and consistently getting caught on backcheck and stripped. Pucks bouncing over Elias Lindholm’s stick during blue chip opportunities.

It just wan’t there night.

The Fighter Issue

Lots of back lash on the decision to dress Anthony Peluso over Austin Czarnik tonight. With that there are so many sides to the argument.

First off I’m not a waste a roster spot guy; I think that era of hockey is dead and teams need useful players up and down the lineup to give head coaches options, and avoid getting caved in with a bad matchup.

I’d prefer the Flames just leave it alone and dress their best roster to win on each and every night.

Having said that though, I have to admit that Zach Kassian was considerably more quiet tonight than I expected given the fireworks between these two teams the last time they met. Did time settle those wounds meaning Kassian no longer had an axe to grind? Or did the presence of Peluso and Prout deter him from being too much of a jack ass, meaning more space for Tkachuk and other Calgary skill?

Hard to say.

Face Wash

Edmonton was up in arms over Matthew Tkachuk the last time the two teams played despite the fact that Tkachuk did very little by way of violence in the two team’s last encounter.

Tonight Adam Larsson rode Johnny Gaudreau into the boards behind the Edmonton net, face washed him and then held his head on the ice so the little winger couldn’t get up.

Edmontonians will say “now we’re even!” and fine, that’s all good. But by their definition the Flames can send a tough guy after Larsson now and he will have to fight or forever be called a turtle.

Stage is set.

Rough Game For Neal

I’m not a reactionary person. I haven’t sweated the lack of James Neal production to date, and I have my fingers crossed that he finds it. I’m happy to point out when he’s getting robbed and generating chances, but not finding the net.

But tonight James Neal was a hot mess. Plays died on his stick all night, he turned the puck over, he took a bad penalty, and he should have been benched for good after the second period.

Not sure where that came from; could be old legs on the second of back to back nights but he had maybe his worst game as a Calgary Flame tonight.

Standings Implications

The Flame held their lead on the conference, at least for now, but blew their game in hand on San Jose and Anaheim.

The Oilers moved to withing a point of the final wild card spot in the West.

Fancy Stats

The Flames had 51% of the shot attempts five on five in the game with a period split of 38% / 57% and 60%. In terms of scoring chances the teams sawed off at 18 apiece, while the high danger chances were 8-5 (62%) in Calgary’s favour.

In all situations the Flames had 50% of the shot attempts, 44% of the scoring chances and 56% of the high danger chances despite the 5-2 split in powerplays for the Oilers.

Individually, Travis Hamonic led all skaters with 72%, followed closely by first and second lines who all hit the 60s. Mark Jankowski had a rough night at 26%, while Andrew Mangiapane, James Neal, Dalton Prout, Peluso, Oliver Kylington  and Rasmus Andersson were all in the 30s.

Without Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano, Connor McDavid was 38% for the Oilers.

 



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