Ah ah ah ah Staying Alive!
A brutal five minutes of play off the hop almost cost them the hockey game, but their goaltender bailed them out and from there they studiously carved out a solid home ice victory against a team they should and needed to beat.
Calgary with the 5-2 victory with three third period goals.
The win keeps their slim playoff hopes alive for another 48 hours with a huge Tuesday looming with all three teams playing.
The season winds into game 81 with a chance at the playoffs.
Incredible journey.
The Lineup
No change to the starting goaltender or 18 skaters, but a switch up front in the bottom six lines.
Nazem Kadri between Jonathan Huberdeau and Adam Klapka, Matt Coronato returning to a line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, and a promotion for Martin Pospisl to play with Morgan Frost and Yegor Sharangovich. And finally a fourth line of Kevin Rooney with Ryan Lomberg and Joel Farabee.
On the blueline no change; Joel Hanley with Mackenzie Weegar, Kevin Bahl with Rasmus Andersson, and Jake Bean with Brayden Pachal.
Wolf starts again for the desperation Flames.
Best Player On the Ice?
Mackenzie Weegar.
He was huge tonight.
Scored a huge goal to help the Flames shake off some cob webs, played 25 minutes, and was a constant calm hand in his own zone, retrieving pucks and transitioning the puck out of danger.
Such a good hockey player.
Won the Peter Maher good guy award as well.
Wolf’s Start
Where would this team be without Dustin Wolf?
Tonight it was Wolf and only Wolf for the first five minutes as the sleepy Flames got completely run over by the Sharks.
He gives up a goal but it could have been four.
His save on Toffoli in the third period with the nasty bounce off the glass was one for the ages.
All told San Jose with 2.81 in all situations expected goals and Wolf gives up just two for another solid performance.
Looks like he’s starting on Tuesday again.
Odds and Sods
Would seem impossible on the surface, but the Flames had a worse start tonight than they had in San Jose last week. In that game it was 17 first period shots and one goal on Dustin Wolf. Tonight they gave up 11 shots and a goal in the first 5 minutes. Be ready. Unacceptable. … Flames, with Wolf to thank, seemed to wake up soon after and were there better team for the next stretch, tying it up on a Mackenzie Weegar five on five goal. … Interesting to see Farabee on the fourth line. I guess it’s his turn. Seems like Huska is moving between Klapka, Pospisil and now Farabee for odd man out in the top nine. Would be even more interesting if Connor Zary was back. … It must be odd to be Marc Edouard Vlasic of the Sharks. He was a key part of all those dominant Sharks teams but signs a long term cap diving contract and then stays beyond pretty much everyone from those teams. Now at 19 years and over 1300 games in the Bay area. … Flames go ahead on a great Nazem Kadri play to get by a defenseman and then setup Adam Klapka for his 5th of the season. … I’m pretty sure Nazem Kadri isn’t told to stay out for two minutes when he doesn’t change with the rest of the first unit. The Flames are pretty consistent with the minute for each group and a full change. Wonder what Blake Coleman in this case feels about that. … After the first five minutes the Flames were 22 to 9 in shots on goal to the end of the second period. … Rough night for Morgan Frost in my opinion. He has great stick skills but he doesn’t need to bring the magic on every single play and in every foot of the ice surface. Too many turnovers in dangerous areas. Great assist in the third period on Sharangovich’s goal though. … What is up with Mikael Backlund? He looks like three years ago. Clearly the player was pretty banged up before finally having to exit for a handful of games. He’s been a force this week. … Have to think Sharangovich bounces back with a 25 or more goal season next year. More confidence and not starting with a high ankle sprain would help. Tonight the go ahead goal in the third, his third straight game with a market, and 100 in his career. Adds an empty netter to get to 17 on the season. I mentioned many times before Christmas that he’d end up with 20. Looks like I’m going to be a handful short. We will see. … I love the Adam Klapka story as much as anyone, and it sure looks like I was wrong when I said the guy wasn’t an NHLer. But the stuff I saw when I said that is very evident in the player being out of place with the top line hands guys of Kadri and Huberdeau. He just doesn’t have the mitts for it. Too many plays dying on his stick. Good in front of the net though as we saw with his goal tonight. I’d love to see him as old school net front on the second powerplay unit. … What a goal scorers goal by Matt Coronato. Takes the puck off his skate and then boom what a release. Goal number 24 on the season. Spent most of the year hoping for 20 but now have to get to that 25 milestone. Amazing pass by Mikael Backlund too. …
Fancy Stats
Take away the first five minutes of the first period and the Flames had themselves a solid home game against an NHL weak sister. But boy was that first five minutes tough to watch. The Flames, five on five, had 58% (40%/71%/76%) of the shot attempts, 56% of the high danger chances, and 61% of the expected goals. In all situations they had 56% of the shot attempts, 50% of the high danger chances and 57% of the expected goals.
Individually, the Flames were led by Nazem Kadri with 70% in xGF% on the night. Many players in the 60s including Joel Hanley, Mackenzie Weegar, Matt Coronato, Blake Coleman and Jake Bean. Kevin Rooney and Ryan Lomberg were under 30% on the night at the bottom of the pile.
