Nazem Kadri said it on Monday night; it’s a little late for moral victories.
The Flames need wins and points and failed to find two of them tonight with a 2-1 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.
The Flames pushed for the final 40 minutes, found the equalizer on an Adam Klapka goal but didn’t have the answer in overtime with Montreal controlling things from the drop of the puck in extra time until the game winner.
The loss is the 7th straight for the Flames, but at least they got a point tonight.
Moral victory right?
The Lineup
No change expected for the Flames after their best territorial game of the season against Winnipeg. Same 18 skaters dressed, same goalie starting, same lines and defense pairings.
Up front a top line of Nazem Kadri with Jonathan Huberdeau and Joel Farabee. A second line of Mikael Backlund with Blake Coleman and Matt Coronato (saw that last year), Morgan Frost with Sam Honzek and Connor Zary (that one is interesting), and then a fourth line of Justin Kirkland between Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka.
On the blueline it’s Kevin Bahl with Rasmus Andersson, and then the two newer pairings; Jake Bean with Mackenzie Weegar and Joel Hanley with Zayne Parekh.
Dustin Wolf back in the nets after his best start since the Edmonton curtain lifter.
Stats Dive
Not a well held secret, but the Calgary Flames are having trouble scoring goals.
That can happen for two principal reasons:
- Not generating enough chances
- Not finishing the chances you generate to the same degree.
In early play there is only one Flames skater that has had actual goals exceed expected goals (suggesting some good fortune or good collective skill), and that’s Matvei Gridin who has been on the ice for 1.76 expected goals on the season, and 3.00 actual goals.
The rest of the team is flat (Sam Honzek), or under water in the luck/skill defeciency.
Top five players for negative GF – XGF totals this season?
- Hanley -3.66
- Farabee -3.51 (we’ve seen this is colour)
- Parekh -2.38 (that’s interesting)
- Bean -2.36
- Zary -1.88 (good to see with tough start)
They should all be having more success than they are.
If you drill into individual stats for goals assigned directly to the individual and look at the differential between actual goals an expected individual goals you have six players with positive results:
- Backlund +0.67
- Gridin +0.61
- Frost +0.36
- Coleman +0.33
- Andersson +0.18
- Coronato +0.17
Those players have all scored once when they should have less than one, or twice when they should have less than two.
The reverse standings for players that have generated the individual chances to score but haven’t had the light come on:
- Kadri -1.15
- Farabee -1.12
- Honzek -0.83 (interesting)
- Sharangovich -0.73 (whipping boy)
- Zary -0.54
Early days, but something to watch.
Wolf’s Start
Did everything he could.
Brilliant in the first period when the team needed him to keep them in the game, and then transitioned into a night with less constant pressure but some blue chippers when Montreal did take the zone.
On the night just two goals against in 61 minutes in contrast to the 2.20 expected in all situations by the Canadiens.
Another solid night for Dustin Wolf.
Odds and Sods
Odd start to the hockey game with the lights not coming up at the Dome. They spent 15 minutes trying to get it up before finally just agreeing to play with the lights dimmer than standard. … Wolf with a point blank save in the first two minutes with the lights dim. … The two teams exchange powerplay opportunities midway through the period. The Flames generate next to nothing, Wolf on the other hand had to be sharp on one chance in particular. … Wolf continues to stand on his head, the game likely should have been 4-0 Montreal after one period. … Good to see some touches from Parekh in the first period in the offensive zone; he didn’t get a lot of such looks against Winnipeg. … Montreal opens the scoring on their second powerplay, a high slot one timer from Bolduc. … 1-0 Montreal after the first period, the Habs had a slight edge in first period high danger chances (3-2).
Much better start to the second period by the Flames. More zone pressure, and giving up next to nothing defensively the other way. … Montreal with a puck over glass penalty giving the Flames an early period chance to tie things up. … Loved the Lomberg dragged out of the crease by the back of his jersey on his ass after sliding into the Montreal goaltender in the second. Looked like he was five. … Another Calgary powerplay with next to nothing generated as the Flames continue to make life easy for Dobes. … The second period looked more like the Winnipeg game with the Flames forcing the issue more, but just unable to convert. … Last five minutes all Calgary but the Flames come up empty and take the game to the third still down a goal. … Calgary with a 7-1 edge in high danger chances in the second period.
Yikes … Flames with two straight breakdowns to start the third period putting all kinds of pressure on Dustin Wolf to keep the game within one. He answers the bell. … After some scrambly pressure by the Flames, Noah Dobson over skates the puck sending Adam Klapka in alone and he scores his first o the season to tie the game up at one. Flames finally break through. … Habs put one off the cross bar on a Parekh shift where he gets hemmed in. … Man does this Dobes guy have the Flame’s number. I remember his standing on his head last season at the Dome as well. … Kadri takes an elbow to the face form Hudson without a call. … Another exchange of powerplays with an overlap that results in 1:44 of four on four hockey. During that stretch Kevin Bahl almost scores the go ahead goal, but is thwarted by Dobes with a pad save. … Just the one goal in the third, on to overtime. Flames with a 4-1 edge in high danger chances in the third, and a 13-5 edge through 60 minutes.
Overtime doesn’t last long with Montreal having full control for a minute; Demidov to Matheson for the winner.
Flames get a point but lose their 7th straight nonetheless.
Fancy Stats
Another game that played out a lot like the loss to the Jets; Calgary with a lot of the zone time and shot attempts, but the club just doesn’t have the luck/skill to finish enough to win hockey games. Could be the story of their season. The Flames, five on five, had 61% (56%/74%/50%) of the shot attempts, 64% of the high danger chances, and 54% of the expected goals. In all situations they had 61% of the shot attempts, 72% of the high danger chances and 59% of the expected goals.
The Flames with 63% on the Moneypuck deserve-to-win-o’meter.
Individually, the Flames were led by Jake Bean with an xGF% of 87% on the night. He was joined in the 80s by Joel Farabee who had 85% for another great showing. Four players in the 60s; Jonathan Huberdeau, Sam Honzek, Zayne Parekh and Nazem Kadri. Four players under 40% on the night; Blake Coleman, Kevin Bahl, Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato as the Backlund line continues to struggle.
