The Flames just didn’t have their game fine tuned today.
They were in it … game tied in shots and goals through two periods, but you just never got that sense they were dialled in enough to bring the game home.
In the third Nik Ehlers gave the Flames the chance they needed to put things away, but like the rest of the game, the powerplay sputtered terribly leaving Ehlers himself to find the net later on a powerplay marker of his own.
Calgary took the first game with a no contest in the special teams department, but tonight the powerplay really let them down.
On to game three!
Line Up Changes
Not a one!
I thought Geoff Ward may shake up his fourth line a bit with Zach Rinaldo playing only three minutes the other night, but he kept the entire roster intact after a convincing game one victory.
So that means Sean Monahan with Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund between the invisible Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane, Sam Bennett on an energized third line with Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube, and finally Derek Ryan elevating a fourth line with Rinaldo and game one goal scorer Tobias Rieder.
No change on the blueline with Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie, Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson with a solid second pairing turn in game one, and the acquirees Erik Gustaffson and Derek Forbort proving a solid third line presence.
Cam Talbot, who didn’t see a lot of work in game one gets the start again.
Not Backing In
The Flames didn’t play their game today, but still there were some good signs when you look back to the debacle against the Avalanche a year and change ago.
They’re not backing in.
Better back pressure, resulting in a defense group that could force the line and put a lot more pressure on the attack and with that less pressure on Cam Talbot.
Not sure where this tied series goes from here, but the mental aspect seems to be more under control from the Calgary side than the last time we saw them in the playoffs.
Fourth Line Struggling
That was a mess.
Zach Rinaldo had a 1-8 shot attempt split, a turnover that lead to a chance and then eventually his penalty to put the Jets up two men for a full two minutes.
All in just four minutes of ice time.
Derek Ryan and Tobias Rieder were slightly better, but you just have to wonder if it’s time to make a switch on the left side of that fourth unit. Can Austin Czarnik get it done? Mark Jankowski on the wing?
But why waste a roster spot on a slot that doesn’t provide anything but four rough minutes of five on five.
Talbot Hands
Cam Talbot certainly settled down, but he had a bit of a shaky start in handling the puck with some greasy rebounds on routine shots to start the game.
His breakaway stop on Kyle Conner in the third was a game saver though, one that should have lead to a win if his teammates picked him up.
Overall, Talbot played well, and is giving the team the type of goallending they need to advance.
Can’t imagine the Flames changing their goaltending going into game three.
Top Line Pushing the Play
Thought Calgary’s top line had a way better game two than they had game one in this series.
They found the net for the team’s first five on five goal of the series when Elias Lindholm scored off an Ehlers turnover, but were generally on the attack and not defending all night.
On the powerplay none of the three top line players had the best of nights, but at last five on five they seemed to take a large step forward.
Not a Gem For the Officials
I get the ticky tack game calling, we’ve seen it in every series.
Today though I just thought the officials impacted the game too often, when there were plenty of options to just break things even.
Adding an additional call to Zach Rinaldo when TJ Brodie was already going off seemed unnecessary, though I have to admit I didn’t actually see what he did. Then in the third sending only Sam Bennett when four different players whacked each other was just choosing to ignore what’s really going on.
Not sure why Andrew Mangiapane was son incensed earlier, but calling the hook on him before he held the stick, or seeing both he and Eakins as both roughing each other up would have been a more neutral way to conclude a game.
I guess Paul Maurice knows what he’s doing.
Top Pairing Struggled
Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie had a rare off night for the Flames as well.
Towards the bottom of the team in most stats, and just off their game from an overall feel basis.
I think Dillon Dube was more at fault than either of the two; Giordano pinching and missing and Brodie playing the puck carrier, on the first goal as he should have gone straight to Harkens and not pursued the player clearly under control by Brodie. But overall not the sharpest of efforts from the top duo tonight.
Counting Stats
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 30 Jets 26
Face Offs – Flames 57%
Special Teams – Flames 0/6 Jets 1/6
Player Stats:
Points – The Flames were led in points by Sam Bennett, Milan Lucic, Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, each with a point; Lindholm and Beneett with goals.
Plus/Minus – The only players to hit the plus side of the game for the Flames was the top line of Monahan, Gaudreau and Lindholm, as well as Noah Hanifin. All three players finished +1.
Shots – Mikael Backlund led all skaters with five shots on goal during game two.
Fancy Stats
This series continues to be a tight one five on five. Only ten high danger chances between the two teams five on five in game one and only eight in game two as they continue to grind things out.
Five on five shot attempts favoured Calgary at 52% on period splits of 44%/50% and 73%. Not the biggest of score effects impact on the final period as the game winner was scored with just eight minutes to play, and a lot of special teams play plugged up the remaining minutes. The Flames had 54% of the xGF% but only 37.5% of the high danger chances (3-5).
Individually, the Flames were led by their top line as Johnny Gaudreau (71%), Sean Monahan (69%), and Elias Lindholm (64%) filled three of the top four spots. Noah Hanifin at 65%, Mikael Backlund at 61% and Matthew Tkachuk at 60% rounded out the players above the 60% mark. The fourth line just got filled in on the other end of the spectrum posting numbers under 20%.
