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Five notes from Calgary vs Minnesota:
1) Stop me if you've heard this before but I thought the Flames once again played very well and were deserving of a better result. They controlled play for much of the game and definitely got the better of the chances but just couldn't get a bounce to go their way. If they didn't have bad luck, they'd have no luck at all.
I think Ferland hitting the crossbar when he had a clean look at an empty net is a perfect summary of how things have gone of late. Work hard to get in the best possible situations to capitalize, yet fail to do so.
It happened numerous times in overtime, too. I felt bad for Johnny Gaudreau because he was spoonfeeding guys empty nets, or close to it, and absolutely nothing would go. That's another tough loss to swallow, but if the Flames continue to outplay the opposition it's only a matter of time before they get results.
2) I thought the top line was very dangerous in this game. Sean Monahan generated seven(!) scoring chances, Ferland generated three and scored on a bullet from the point, and Gaudreau chipped in with eight shot attempts, 400 passes that set up teammates with empty nets, and scored a fantastic goal in the shootout. This trio is so fun to watch.
3) Mike Smith didn't face a ton of chances, or shots in general, but I thought he was solid. He made some good saves when called upon and stopped 21 of the 22 shots he's faced, marking the third consecutive game he's posted a .917 save percentage or better. The Flames' improved defensive play in front of Smith certainly helps, but it's nice to see him finding his game again.
4) At some point, I'd like to see Dougie Hamilton given a chance on the top power play. Not only does he average more points/60, shots/60, etc. than Brodie on the man advantage, but giving Hamilton a chance would also shave a couple minutes off Brodie's nightly workload, which is a probably too big.
5) Speaking of Hamilton, he played a team-high 19:12 at 5v5 and was on the ice for just two chances against. He (deservedly) gets a lot of praise for his offensive game, but he's much better without the puck than people give him credit for.
Recent posts:
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On Hamilton's increased usage and Ferland's strong play
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Flames smart to replace Brouwer with Ferland on the power play
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