Not sure I’m loving the math all that much after this weekend.
A loss last night in Edmonton in regulation followed by a gut check comeback overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators by a 4-3 score tonight just isn’t what the doctor ordered for a team that would like to be and honestly should be in a better position.
The Flames were a discombobulated mess for much of the first 40 minutes before digging deep and scoring both third period goals to force overtime and secure a point.
But is a point good enough?
Without a good run soon, I’m thinking not.
The Line Up
With back to back games on a weekend you just know there would be changes, fresh legs and all that. The biggest surprise is in net with Jacob Markstrom starting back to back games on a weekend. Bottom line Josh Leivo and Joakim Nordstrom are out, Sam Bennett and Zach Rinaldo are in.
The Cage
Really surprised to see Jacob Markstrom in back to back games on the weekend, but then maybe that speaks to how important this game is to the Flames. They really need to get the win, get Sutter into town and get to work on putting a streak together. Better to start that process form .500 (points percentage) then two games under.
Jacob Markstrom
Goals saved above average -3.1
David Rittich
Save percentage above average -2.4
The Blueline
No changes at all on the blueline from last night. Mark Giordano with Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin with Chris Tanev, and Nikita Nesterov with Juuso Valimaki.
Giordano – Andersson
43% xGF in 306 minutes
Hanifin – Tanev
62% xGF in 374 minutes
Nesterov – Valimaki
57% xGF in 219 minutes
Up Front
Lots of change up front, and you have to think it has some Darryl Sutter behind it. Sutter in his press conference mentioned Derek Ryan specifically, though he did have him in the strength up the middle conversation. Tonight though he moves up the roster to play with Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. No change to the top line with Elias Lindholm between Matthew Tkachuk and Dillon Dube. No change to the third line with Mikael Backlund between Milan Lucic and Dillon Dube. The fourth line is all new however, with Sam Bennett coming back in to center Zach Rinaldo and Brett Ritchie.
Tkachuk – Lindholm – Dube
40% xGF in 130 minutes
Gaudreau – Monahan – Ryan
New combination
Lucic – Backlund – Mangiapane
66% xGF in 67 minutes
Rinaldo – Bennett – Ritchie
New combination
The Start
Flat as a pancake.
The Flames had the territorial advantage for much of the first ten minutes, and not because they were given two quick powerplays, which turned into momentum killers honestly.
But five on five they had the puck a lot, but didn’t get anything to the net, or create any real scoring chances.
Then it was a fluke goal … another one scored by a Flames player on Jacob Markstrom, this time Chris Tanev having the puck go off his skate and through Markstrom’s wickets and it’s 1-0.
Calgary gets caught pushing up the ice on a four on four and just like that it’s 2-0.
They didn’t appear to be ready to go tonight. Not mentally dialed in. Not on their toes. Not moving their feet.
Darryl Sutter has a lot of work to do.
No Talky!
In-between the first and second periods Matt Stajan was saying one of Darryl Sutter’s rules is no chatting with the opposition while stretchy etc in the warm ups.
They showed a classic look at the Tkachuk brothers in the previous games talking and laughing, and then tonight with Matthew turning his back when his brother came up to him.
Pretty old school for sure, but not necessarily something I disagree with.
You have to be ready to play. Sometimes too much can be made of going to war etc, but there has to be a line somewhere in getting yourself ready to do what you need to do to win.
What The Heck Is Wrong With Matthew Tkachuk?
Rough night for Matthew Tkachuk, though he came on in the third period and finished with two points.
Last night he had a lot of passion … lots of hits, a big fight, but in the end he and his linemates were on the ice for two of the three Oiler goals.
Tonight through forty though a complete mess.
Weak passes … too many failed fancy between the legs or backhand passes. He looked slow and disinterested at times.
That’s not his make up, to me something has changed with the player. Could be an issue at home, could be an issue at “work” or in the room with the team. So hard to say.
But something is really wrong.
Breakdowns and Bobbles
When things started to go really south for the Flames this season, about three or three and a half weeks ago one of the tell tale signs was almost to a man they just seemed to make mistakes all over the ice.
Hockey is a mistake driven sport, it happens … but the number of unforced errors and cough ups with zero pressure were mind boggling.
Tonight was another one of those nights.
Guys falling down with no one around them, pucks bouncing off sticks with an excuse of poor ice. Heck even Markstrom dropped his stick behind the net trying to play the puck.
How many breakaways are you going to give up to below average hockey players? It was incredible.
That’s not work ethic … has to be nerves?
All comes down to mental toughness for this team. They don’t have any.
Monahan Is A Different Player
Sean Monahan will always have his detractors.
He’s big but doesn’t play big, and you notice it.
But he’s made a big move in his ability to use his frame to protect pucks and distribute pucks both five on five and on the powerplay. He’s money compared to many of his teammates when it comes to surehandedness in winning board battles and creating offence by finding options.
As a player that was always labeled as a shooter, he’s really developing the rest of his offensive game.
Will be interesting to see how he does under Darryl Sutter.
Dillon Dube Will Some Day Be a Beast
The guy has a great wall game as well … and so much speed … probably Calgary’s best skater up front.
It’s not all put together yet, but it’s coming and it will come.
I think as a finished topic Dube might be a little like Brayden Point, not to the same extent but in style. Driving play, using his speed, using his smarts to create offence while giving up nothing defensively.
He has a ways to go … another interesting story with Darryl Sutter coming in.
Team Stats:
Shots – Flames 34 Senators 22
Face Offs – Flames 60%
Powerplay – Flames 1/8 Senators 0/2
Player Stats:
Points – Matthew Tkachuk led all skaters with two points, both assists.
Plus/Minus – Tkachuk, Dillon Dube and Elias Lindholm were all +2 on the night.
Shots – Johnny Gaudreau, Mark Giordano and Sam Bennett all had four shots on goal.
Fancy Stats
Unavailable.
Will Update tomorrow.
