Five observations from Calgary vs Washington:
1. The Flames held their own They were playing their third game in four nights, on the road, against a rested No. 1 seed. If ever there was an understandable time for a no-show, or patented period off, last night’s game would have been it. But, somewhat surprisingly, the Flames played fairly well. They were far from perfect, of course, but it could be argued they were the better side for a good portion of the game. The Flames actually controlled more than half of the shot attempts, scoring chances, high-danger chances, and expected goals. You happily take that every time given the scheduling spot. The Flames just failed to convert on some of those opportunities while Jakub Vrana and the Capitals, well, didn’t.
2. No. 5 was off Last night’s game was just a reminder that nobody is perfect. Normally as steady as they come, 2018-19 Norris winner Mark Giordano was anything but against the Capitals. Questionable pinches, and/or decisions, led directly to a pair of Washington goals, and his 36.10 xGF% was worst among all Flames blueliners. He’ll no doubt be much better against Arizona on Tuesday night.
3. The Bread Man came through I speculated in Sunday’s game preview that a breakout performance was right around the corner for Andrew Mangiapane.
Andrew Mangiapane has gone a little quiet, failing to find the back of the net in six consecutive games. The numbers suggest he could snap out of that funk sooner than later. Mangiapane has recorded multiple chances in four of the six games, including last night when he registered five in less than 15 minutes of ice. Only Matthew Tkachuk has more 5v5 chances during that span, and nobody on the Flames has averaged more chances per 60 minutes (11.62). He’s somebody who is playing well, hasn’t been used a ton, and could have a little extra pep in his step to contribute in this tough schedule spot.
Right around the corner, it was.
Mangiapane showed good patience at the netmouth outwaiting Ilya Samsonov before tucking one home to get the Flames on the board early. He also added an assist on the team’s only other goal, and finished with strong on-ice numbers (60 CF%, 58.07 xGF%) across the board. It was a really solid effort from him.
4. Elias Lindholm is sizzling hot Lindholm continues to erase any doubt he’s developed into a legitimate star. He once again scored on a beautiful deflection play, marking the sixth game in the span of eight – and 10th in 16 overall – he has found the back of the net. When you combine his ever-improving goal scoring ability with his versatility, playmaking, and playdriving, he really has become one of the team’s most influential players on a nightly basis. As much as Dougie Hamilton is killing it in Carolina, the steps Lindholm has taken really make it a worthwhile deal for both.
5. The 4th line controlled play It was a really good night for Tobias Rieder, Mark Jankowski, and Michael Frolik. Seemingly every shift they had was spent controlling play in the offensive zone. They generated quite a few shots, led the team in CF%, and were only on the ice for one scoring chance (zero high-danger) in 10+ minutes of ice.
Maybe one game they’ll actually convert on some of those chances and find the scoresheet. Maybe!
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com Recent posts: