Five observations from Calgary vs Arizona:
1. Johnny Gaudreau was fantastic I think No. 13 was very clearly the best player on the ice. Gaudreau seemed to have extra pep in his step from the get-go and was dissecting Arizona's defense with pinpoint passing. On one of his first shifts, he created three quality shooting opportunities for teammates, including one from behind the net that resulted in Sean Monahan's goal. He was so shifty with the puck and made Arizona pay whenever they gave him too much time to work with, which was far too often. At 5v5, he was among the leaders in Corsi For%, Scoring Chance For%, and no Flame contributed to more shots. Though he only recorded one point, he was truly fantastic.
5v5 shot contributions for Flames forwards vs Arizona. Johnny Gaudreau led the way in what was a pretty low-event, penalty filled game. pic.twitter.com/yvn8ss2xHv
— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) November 25, 2018
2. Secondary scoring remains consistent This Flames team is so much different than last year's version. It was always top line/Matthew Tkachuk or bust offensively. If the big four forwards didn't contribute to at least a goal or two every night, the Flames simply couldn't win. That's no longer the case.
When the Flames routed Vegas, they were already up four goals before the top line decided to get involved. Last night the Flames potted six with Gaudreau, Monahan, Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm contributing to one goal.
Noah Hanifin and Mark Jankowski scored two each. Derek Ryan picked up a pair of assists. T.J. Brodie had a multi-point game. Dillon Dube found the scoresheet again. You get the point.
Even though I thought the top line was the best, they didn't necessarily get results. And it didn't matter. I love what I'm seeing from the Flames right now.
3. The PK was spectacular The Flames' put forth as good of a PK performance as you will ever see. Seriously. In upwards of eight minutes shorthanded, they gave up just two chances (one high-danger). That in itself is impressive. That they also scored *checks notes* THREE goals while down a man is absolutely astonishing. Realizing the Coyotes were asleep at the wheel, the Flames were ultra aggressive. They reaped the benefits on numerous occasions, with the first coming when it was still only a one-goal game.
What a great example of aggressive penalty killing paying off. #Flames pic.twitter.com/yuDByvVtqB
— Mike Pfeil (@mikeFAIL) November 25, 2018
4. Mike Smith did his job I've been very hard on Smith this season – I think rightfully so – but I have to give credit where it is due. He played well vs the Coyotes. They mustered up 29 shots on goal and 11 high-danger opportunities. Though there were a couple uncomfortable saves where it looked like the puck would squeeze through, the important thing is it didn't. The lone blemish came on an awful turnover, which Smith couldn't do much about. In today's NHL you need two capable goaltenders. Even if David Rittich continues chugging along, Smith will see a decent share of starts. Getting him back on track is important.
5. A solid debut Oliver Kylington was sheltered in his first NHL game since 2015-16. He started just two shifts in the defensive zone, which was the fewest among Flames defenders, and played less than 14 minutes. Still, I liked what I saw. He was comfortable while moving the puck. He recorded a couple shot assists at 5v5. He had a positive on-ice chance differential and the Flames won the high-danger battle 4-1 with him out there. It'd be nice to get Juuso Valimaki back sooner than later but, if not anything else, it looks like he can handle himself in a sheltered 3rd pairing role in the meantime.
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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