The Flames won a game in Anaheim! I know!
Sure they broke that nasty streak in 2017 with Mike Smith making his first visit as a Flame, but it hasn’t been pretty since so it was nice to see another goaltender making his first start for Calgary at the Honda Center, Cam Talbot repeating that good news story.
It wasn’t a perfect performance mind you, as the Flames repeated their misery in the face off circle, gave up three more powerplays than they earned, and started a period on their heels once again.
But two points are two points, and a weekend split in Los Angeles feels pretty good after that face plant last night.
Line Up Changes
You can tell Bill Peters is less than impressed given his lineup tonight.
Oliver Kylington sent to the farm on what will likely be a 24 hour period in order to get a fresh forward up and not risk losing someone on waivers. Michael Stone enters the game in his place on the blueline and lines up with TJ Brodie. Rasmus Andersson moves to the top pairing with Mark “Superman” Giordano.
Up front Alan Quine comes up from Stockton and goes into the lineup in place of Sam Bennett. He’ll line up on the left side of a line with Mark Jankowski and Tobias Rieder. Austin Czarnik moves up to take Bennett’s place on a line with Derek Ryan and Milan Lucic.
The top two lines remain the same.
Cam Talbot gets the start, his second as a Flame. Coming into the game he sports a .893 save percentage, up a bit with the mop up scoreless period last night.
Calgary Goaltending
The Achilles Heel according to most outside “experts” was goaltending coming into the season. The team had a great defense core, solid scoring depth up front and a roster being returned intact and ready to push for another 100+ point season.
But would the guys in net be able to do their part, and make the team a contender?
Early on the goalies have done more than their part, with other parts of the team’s game being the weakness.
Coming in tonight David Rittich had a .906 save percentage and the less used Cam Talbot a .893. They were ranked 16th overall (pretty much dead center average). With Talbot’s 29 save performance tonight he jumps to .931 and off to a great start, while dragging the team up to 11th in team save percentage at .912.
Will be interesting to see where the twists and turns of a season takes us, but so far so good for Calgary’s under appreciated tandem.
Terrible Starts
Given how the team has started in their majority of games this year you have to be happy with this one.
A scoreless first period, with the Flames carrying the play on the first two shifts and generating a handful of scoring chances.
I thought the Ducks were the better team in the middle ten minutes of the period, but then a late flurry of play by the fourth line gave Calgary the edge overall in the first period.
The Peters Blender
The lines didn’t last all that long tonight, as Peters switched things up midway through the first period when Calgary’s game started to slide.
Austin Czarnik replaced Michael Frolik on the 3M Line, while Frolik lined up with Milan Lucic and Derek Ryan for good parts of the first and second period.
Sam Bennett Out
The Sam Bennett saga continues.
Good start to the season, then a woeful stretch where he takes some penalties and plays some uninspired hockey. On the recent two game homestand they put together a solid third line that had he, Derek Ryan and Andrew Mangiapane leading the way over the Wings on Thursday night.
But of course that can’t last as Mangiapane goes down with a concussion.
Then last night in L.A. Bennett takes a knee on knee from King tough guy MacDermid and is now sidelined with a lower body injury (guessing knee).
The guy’s career has been like a tragic novel.
Work Ethic
Not sure I buy the work ethic angle of the Flames in their last two Saturday nights.
They were poor, there is little debate about that, but I don’t see this group as being lazy or unwilling to put in a good night’s effort.
I do wonder sometimes about mental strength and the ability to get themselves ready. Too many slow starts, early penalties, early goals, and individual terrible periods.
I assume that’s an individual thing, getting yourself ready, and not a team wide exercize, but they need to figure it out man by man, or change the dressing room to add the elements that make that happen.
Angry Monahan
What has gotten into this guy?
Craig Conroy suggested Monahan was asked to be a different player as part of his wrap up interview after last season’s abysmal playoff finish.
The work list was speed, and being a little harder to play against.
This season so far, Monahan has been noticeably quicker and a little edgier as well, as the big center has finished more checks and been more of a presence in puck battles in tough areas.
Tonight he took it to another level though as he went after Hampus Lindholm in a rage, knocking the Duck’s defenseman down, and then later had a cross check exchange with Del Zotto in front of the Duck’s net.
He’s always had finishing talent. If he can add 10% more speed, 10% more edge, and be a little better away from the puck the Flames and the presence of a number one center will be put to rest.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 29 Ducks 30
Face Offs – Flames 41%
Special Teams – Flames 0/0 Ducks 0/3
Player Stats:
Points – A single point for each of Backlund, Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Czarnik, Brodie and Stone.
Plus/Minus – Backlund, Tkachuk, Czarnik, Brodie, Hamonic, Stone and Hanifin were all +1
Shots – Michael Stone led the way with four shots on goal.
Fancy Stats
Calgary had 52% of the five on five shot attempts with period split of 53%/56% and 47%, the last of the third certainly effected by score effects. The Ducks had a 13-8 edge in five on five high danger chances. The Flames had a similar xGF% of 52%.
In all situations the Flames had 46% of the shot attempts, as they didn’t get on a single powerplay.
Individually, the Flames were led by their fourth line as Rieder, Jankowski and Quine had 74%, 70% and 68% respectively. Sean Monahan also had a night in the 60s. At the bottom of the pile Derek Ryan and Michael Frolik both finished under 30%.
