Hard to tell which team was tired in this one!
The Flames led 2-0 after one period, and then turned a 2-2 tie after two into a coast home 6-2 on Wednesday night in Buffalo.
The Flames got three points from Rasmus Andersson, and two points from all of Joel Farabee, Jonathan Huberdeau, Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost, Nazem Kadri and Yegor Sharangovich to route the Sabres.
Devin Cooley picks up his first win as a Flame.
Great night for a team that needed a win.
The Lineup
A waiver claim of John Beecher, coupled with a solid 2nd NHL game by Sam Morton leads to a Ryan Lomberg healthy scratch.
Up front it’s Morgan Frost with Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato, Nazem Kadri with Yegor Sharangoivch and Joel Farabee, Mikael Backlund with Connor Zary and Blake Coleman, and a fourth line of John Beecher between Sam Morton and Adam Klapka.
On the blueline it’s status quo; Kevin Bahl with Rasmus Andersson, Yan Kuztensov with Mackenzie Weegar and Jake Bean taking a seat for Joel Hanley who lines up with Brayden Pachal.
Devin Cooley in net for the Flames.
Stats Dive
The Flames hit everything last night in Chicago.
The cynic in me would suggest that’s what happens when you don’t have the puck, but it’s still choice to finish a check and not just do a fly by or stick check when you’re trying to get the puck back.
Of note was Adam Klapka tying Martin Pospisil’s record for most hits in a game at 11.
Now this stat is a tough one to nail down, as it appears every rink has a different standard, but lets look at hit total from the beginning of last season through last night.
Total Hits:
- Pospisil 295
- Weegar 231
- Coleman 207
- Lomberg 192
- Klapka 172
How about hit rates by ice time:
- Klapka 21.6
- Pospisil 17.5
- Kirkland 13.8
- Lomberg 13.4
- Rooney 12.2
By that list you sure get reminded of the point above … high hit totals when you don’t have the puck, as the list is basically a who’s who of past and present fourth liners.
The first guy to make the list that isn’t a fourth liner is Sam Honzek at 9.5 and Blake Coleman at 8.9.
Now flip it … who gets hit the most based on ice time?
- Parekh 8.7
Not good.
Cooley’s Start
He’s been solid all season.
He was solid again tonight in picking up his first win in a Flames uniform.
Got beat in the first, but it was waved off.
Was scored on twice in the second period, both from a ways out … one through a screen and one a vicious one timer.
Locked it down in the third.
Buffalo with 2.41 in all situations expected goals, but only beat Cooley twice.
Odds and Sods
Can’t imagine wearing those jerseys if you have the regular home Sabres silks to choose from. No way. …. I think John Beecher’s first shift was something like 11 seconds! … Morgan Frost with an early penalty. … Joel Farabee is solid at the blueline preventing zone entries for opposing powerplays. … Flames open the scoring when the Kadri line gets on the forecheck, a rebound squeaking out, off Sharangovich and to Rasmus Andersson. Sharangovich with a good shift. Hope that continues. … Good graphic on Flames all time points by blueliners; Andersson in 7th and 5 points back of Jamie Macoun. Doubt he goes much higher than that with his trade status; he’s 25 behind TJ Brodie. … It’s hard to describe but Connor Zary just isn’t on his toes. Seems slow to react to puck opportunities in all three zones. … Same line makes it 2-0 Calgary with Kadri and Sharangovich doing a zone entry give and go that results in Kadri setting up Farabee out front. … Same line again, but this one the other way with the Flames getting hemmed and and Cooley beat from the point. Not a good pass decision by Kadri. Play challenged for goalie interference, and it’s waved. … Best period of the season for Sharangovich for sure. Two points, and probably won 4 of 5 puck battles. … Flames lead 2-0 after one period
Don Maloney with a lot of expected non speak in the first intermission. But had to chuckle when he clearly mistakenly said “rebuild” and then panicked and rifled out some inexplicable other “re” words. … Quiet beginning to the second period with neither team creating much in the first five minutes. … Sabres go to their second powerplay but it’s butt ugly. … Sabres officially on the board when Samuelson beat Cooley from a ways out, possibly through a screen. 2-1 Flames. … The Sabres clearly the better team in the middle ten minutes of the period. Two powerplays and a lot of zone time. … They tie it up on a Tage Thompson blast with 4 minutes to play in the period. One timer beat Cooley. … Flames better after the tying goal and have a few chances to wrap up the second, but the score remains tied at two. …
Interesting to see what the Flames did with a 2-2 tie in the early part of the third period after giving up three straight last night in Buffalo. … Well I guess! Flames go up 3-2 two minutes into the period with an amazing pass from Johnathan Huberdeau to Morgan Frost. … Cooley under some pressure towards the middle of the period but has the answer. … The Flames find the insurance goal when Mikael Backlund pumps in a rebound on an Andersson rebound. That gives Andersson two two points nights in 27 hours. … Flames pretty much put it away with Joel Farabee scoring his second of the night on a breakaway caused by Rasmus Andersson’s flip. That gives Andersson his third point of the night. Trade value … creeping up. … Odd to see the team on back to backs and a tough travel night having all the legs in the third period. … Flames close out the scoring when Matt Coronato scores a crazy one. He chops the puck off a Sabre and off the glass, but the puck bounces back over the net and off of the goalie and in. Two point night for Coronato and goals in 4 of his last 5. … Flames win 6-2!
Fancy Stats
A fairly tight game five on five with the Flames edging out the Sabres in all categories; something that matches the eye test for the most part.. The Flames, five on five, had 54% (59/52%/52%) of the shot attempts, 53% of the high danger chances and 51% of the expected goal split. In all situations they had 55% of the shot attempts, 53% of the high danger chances, and 53% of the goal split.
The Flames with 49.9% on the Moneypuck deserve-to-win-o’meter.
Individually, the Flames were led by Blake Coleman with an xGF% of 79% on the night. Yegor Sharangovich and Nazem Kadri were in the 60s. The fourth line with a tough night; John Beecher, Sam Morton and Adam Klapka with roughly 15%.
