Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
Five observations from Calgary vs Arizona:
1. More of the same
Get this: the Calgary Flames generated quite a few chances, especially in the 3rd period, but they were unable to capitalize on them. Shocking, I know.
This has been a common theme for months so it's only fitting it continued against a guy who has posted a ridiculous .940 save percentage since the turn of the calendar.
I know they're still playing without two of their top goal scorers in Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk but it's crystal clear the team needs to add another finisher in the off-season. Generating chances doesn't do much if you don't have guys who can finish them.
2. 2MB struggled
Michael Frolik, Mikael Backlund and Troy Brouwer did a surprisingly good job against Connor McDavid and co. the other night. It was a much different story vs Clayton Keller and Arizona's top line.
They actually didn't go to head all that much (they played less than five minutes against each other). When they did, though, it was ugly.
The Coyotes out-chanced the Flames 6-1 during that time and also were rewarded on the scoreboard with a goal.
3. Spencer Foo looked comfortable
I thought he was pretty good in his first game. He took it up a notch last night. He looked really confident with the puck and was trying to make plays, which was nice to see. He wasn't conservative. He didn't just defer to Johnny Gaudreau and get out of the way. He played as if he belonged. He tallied game-highs in shot attempts (9), shots (7), chances (6) and did everything but score. Hopefully he'll do that before the season reaches its end.
4. Jon Gillies' struggles continued
Gillies' play down the stretch isn't doing the team or himself any favors. If he wants to be the backup next season, consistently posting a sub .900 save percentage is not a great way to do it.
If the Flames were hoping to increase his trade value, I certainly don't think this is helping.
It's not all on him, obviously, but a .885 SV% pops off the page for all the wrong reasons.
5. Nick Shore impressed again
He's not a guy to get excited about but he continues to look like an upgrade in the bottom-6. He's smart, he can kill penalties, and he'll chip in offensively on occasion, as we saw last night.
The Flames are trying to win games – losing doesn't help them at all – and he played more than the likes of Mark Jankowski and Micheal Ferland. I think that's pretty telling.
Recent posts:
On the possibility of trading into the 1st round
Losing ways continue as Flames fall to Ducks
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»