When I saw the Flames schedule to end January and start February a bump in the road was very much expected.
Too many gaps in play, too few games in three weeks, and then a very road laden slate for the shortest month of the year. Add in the fact that the team was winning some games ugly heading into the all star break and you have the perfect recipe for a very good team going on a very minor skid.
Of late the team has lost four in a row, the caveat on that being two shoot out losses meaning they haven’t lost back to back regulation games since November, and with today’s 5-4 victory in Pittsburgh, they return home with a 1-1-2 record on a road trip with the hockey world thinking the Calgary sky was collectively falling.
Well it’s not.
And with the micro bump in the road hopefully coming to an end, the macro benefits of the light schedule should soon bare fruit, helping the team to a good final push towards home ice in the first round of the playoffs.
Line Up Changes
The only change the Flames made to their lineup was due to necessity with James Neal going down with a lower body injury in the game in Florida. It looked like a knee injury to me, but my wife and many on the site were wondering about his shoulder as well. Not a lot of information as of yet.
Austin Czarnik enters the game in his place and lines up with Mark Jankowski and Sam Bennett. No changes to the first, second and fourth lines, nor the defense pairings. Mike Smith starts his second straight game after playing well against the Panthers.
Sam Bennett Impact
Funny game for Sam Bennett. He gets in a fight, draws a penalty, takes a penalty, posts a team low corsi number five on five, and scores a powerplay goal, which turns out to be the game winner.
The good, the bad and the ugly?
Can’t fault a guy for impacting the game in every way imaginable!
Team Gelling
The Bennett fight, and then later a Rasmus Andersson tilt were both in coming to the defense of a teammate, a good sign looking to solidify before a playoff push.
Sam Bennett didn’t like the interference/elbow that Austin Czarnik took from Marcus Pettersson, and with that jumped the Penguin and dusted him in a quick bout. Bennett picked up the instigator penalty on the play, with the Penguins scoring just after it expired.
At the end of the second, Patrick Hornqvist did his usual pest thing going after Gaudreau at the buzzer resulting in every Calgary player on the ice coming in. In the melee Mark Giordano takes a pretty ugly cross check to the ribs from new Penguin Jared McCann with Andersson jumping the winger in response, and quickly getting knocked down.
The team will never be confused with a rough and tumble, intimidating force, but the fact that they are quick to come to each other’s aid is a very good sign.
Czarnik Hits the Sheet
Happy to see Austin Czarnik hit the scoresheet, though I think it’s a goal that starter Matt Murray would like to have back.
I’m not one to jump into “FREE CZARNIK” club as the winger hasn’t done a whole lot this year to stay in the lineup in my mind. He isn’t physical, he hasn’t put up points, doesn’t kill penalties and with that he’s been somewhat replaceable.
However today he stood out as effective on a third line, made some good plays and scored an important goal.
Fourth Line Ryan
The man didn’t have the best of starts in Calgary colours, but you certainly don’t hear many complaints about his play or his contract any more; the player has been money for the last two plus months.
Strong on faceoffs, and great in terms of possession, nothing bad ever happens when Derek Ryan is on the ice. Tonight though three assists, moving him to 23 points in 57 games, a pace that would give him 33 over 82 games, pretty much in line with his contract and expectations.
Great add.
Tkachuk Slump Over?
Just an assist, but Matthew Tkachuk was able to snap his six game scoring slump, the first we’ve really seen of a slump this season from the consistent point producer.
His point tonight was on a good tip on a Rasmus Andersson point shot, the puck bouncing to Michael Frolik who put the puck past Matt Murray to give the Flames a 2-1 lead in the second.
The Flames simply need to get that second line going. Five on five the top line is struggling and to have the entire top six only finding points on the powerplay is a factor every bit as impactful as goaltending of late.
Standings Impact
With Calgary playing in the morning and the rest of the pack playing much later the only implication at this time is the game itself with Calgary picking up two points.
The Jets, Sharks, Predators and Knights all play later on in the evening, with the most important fact being Calgary used their game in hand on the Sharks to move two points ahead with even games player. The Sharks are playing the Canucks in San Jose tonight.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Pens 38 Flames 31
Face Offs – Pens 58%
Special Teams – Pens 3/4 Flames 1/3
Player Stats:
Points – Derek Ryan 3
Plus/Minus – Derek Ryan and Rasmus Andersson +2
Shots – Michael Frolik 5
Fancy Stats
Not a bad five on five game for the Flames as they had 47% of the shot attempts with period splits of 46%/49% and 45%. The more meaningful shots were better for Calgary however as they had 51% of the five on five scoring chances and 52% of the high danger chances.
In all situations the Flames had 45% of the shot attempts, 47% of the scoring chances and 56% of the high danger chances.
Individually, it was a great day for Calgary support players as Andrew Mangiapane, Andersson, Ryan, Frolik and Czarnik led the way with corsi numbers between 58-66%. The top line and Sam Bennett were all under 40% on the day.
