Well that was a night!
A game was played of course, with the Flames erasing a 1-0 Anaheim lead with four straight goals, including three straight to finish the game for Matt Coronato and his first NHL hat trick.
While all this transpired a slow leaking 6 asset swap with the Philadelphia Flyers, with two new key pieces joining the Flames for the weekend.
Calgary snaps a two game losing streak, and leapfrogs the Canucks back into a playoff spot.
Won’t forget this one!
The Lineup
The Flames lose on Tuesday night, but planned to not change the lineup for tonight’s game against Anaheim. But a late scratch of Andrei Kuzmenko (with rumours of a trade to Philly) had the insertion of Kevin Rooney for the game, and with that changes to lines three and four.
So look for Nazem Kadri between Jonathan Huberdeau and Jakob Pelletier, Mikael Backlund back with Blake Coleman and Matt Coronato and a third line with Yegor Sharangovich at center between Adam Klapka and Martin Pospisil. The fourth line tonight is Kevin Rooney between Ryan Lomberg and Clark Bishop.
No change on the blueline as well; Mackenzie Weegar with Tyson Barrie, Rasmus Andersson with Joel Hanley and a third pairing of Jake Bean with Brayden Pachal.
Dustin Wolf gets the start again for the Flames.
Pre Game Stats Dive
The goalie comparison is getting tighter and tighter.
Well no the success rate or the stats, Dustin Wolf is running away with those.
But with more and more starts going Wolf’s way the degree of difficulty is starting to narrow.
The breakdown looks like this …
Wolf has had 15/27 at home. Vladar has had 10/21 at home.
With Vladar not winning he’s starting to get more starts against lesser teams evening out the difficulty splits. Vladar has had 67% of his starts against teams that are .500 or better. Wolf has 70% of his starts against teams that are .500 or better. Vladar has had 38% of his starts against teams that are .600 or better, Wolf at 37%.
And the opposition situational win percentage has also narrowed to next to nothing.
Wolf has an opposing win percentage of .566 and Vladar is at .557.
The one stat that hasn’t narrowed; second night of back to backs. Vladar is still 6/6 on that front.
Wolf’s Start
Solid again!
Lots to do in the first period when he gives up a goal on a turnover, and beat high glove side by Frank Vatrano.
Then shuts the door the rest of the way.
Had little to do in the first 15 minutes of the second until some late Duck powerplays.
Matt Coronato provides the insurance goals late to get him the win.
Anaheim generates 2.63 in expected goals in all situations but only nets the one goal.
Another solid Wolf start.
Klapka Comes Alive
Have to hand it to the giant, he had himself a hell of a second period.
In my viewings he hasn’t appeared to have the processing speed to get things done at the NHL level, and more sample size is needed to prove otherwise.
But in the second he had numerous touches, a few chances, and a goal, to suggest there could be more there.
Great game for the big guy.
The Trade
First off what a blast to have a trade peel out while watching the team play a hockey game. They should all be done that way. Way more drama and a blast.
Calgary picks up 2/3 of the Flyers second line, in two players in Frost and Farabee that are in their mid 20s and under team control for years, in exchange for Jakob Pelletier, Andrei Kuzmenko a 2nd this year, and a 7th in 2028.
Losing Pelletier hurts, such a positive and entertaining player. Kuzmenko was an assumed value-less player at the deadline with an off season.
Overall it would be hard not to see this as a big win for the Flames. They get a center to slide into the slot between Kadri and Backlund, and he brings along his winger in Farabee. Huge depth addition to the Flames and the age of both players fit.
What will be interesting is what they do with Connor Zary when he returns from injury. No room up the middle now, so does he slid on to the wing with Kadri? Or does he fit in with the two new forward from Philly?
Odds and Sods
Honestly, what the hell are the Ducks doing with their uniforms? How could a team that only been around 32 years have five different jerseys and three different primary logos? It just doesn’t make any sense. These with the original logo and the orange pants? Pass. Bring back the eggplant. It was different and it worked. … Flames didn’t get the start they wanted with Martin Pospisil taking a tripping penalty just 30 seconds into the game. Kill it off though. … Clark Bishop has some game in traffic. Solid work winning puck battles and keeping cycles moving. … Anaheim goes up on a shorty with Rasmus Andersson dropping an off target pass to Pospisil at the Duck’s blueline, sending three Ducks the other way. … Hockey fans love transactions. So it was pretty fun to have a rumour unfolding before your very eyes watching a hockey game. Kuzmenko out. Not hurt. Going to Philly? Morgan Frost pulled from the Flyers third period. Bigger trade possible? More players involved that are still playing. Pelletier not on the ice for the second! Pretty good drama! … Klapka ties it up for Calgary with a great individual move. I haven’t been high on the guy for his overall five on five play at this level but you have to love that individual play. … Imagine being a Flames player on this night. You get to the rink and you see a healthy scratch of a player expected to play. You’d hear for trade reasons. Then the intermission and Pelletier gets pulled too. Must be distracting. It is for me and I’m not playing! … Terrible call on Kadri for that run in with Trouba. Trouba had a dangerous hit, Kadri stands up for himself and gets the extra penalty? Insanity. …
Fancy Stats
A very evenly played game. Basically 1-1 through 39 minutes of play, but then Matt Coronato took over. Underlying stats pretty even throughout the game. Calgary found a way. The Flames, five on five, had 49% (47%/61%/39%) of the shot attempts, 46% of the high danger chances, and 50% of the expected goals. In all situations they had 45% of the shot attempts, 44% of the high danger chances and 51% of the expected goals.
Individually, the Flames were led by Mackenzie Weegar posting an xGF% of 89% on the night. That’s pretty pretty good. Martin Pospisil was in the 80s as well, Kevin Rooney and Nazem Kadri in the 60s. Three players under 30%; Jakob Pelletier in his last period in Calgary, Ryan Lomberg, and Yegor Sharangovich.
