The Calgary Flames laid a beat down on the COVID-19 ravaged Ottawa Senators on Sunday. Missing your top goalie, your second line center and half of your depth forwards is bad enough. The fact that the Flames got to play them at the end of a back-to-back was just unfair. Here are a few observations from the game:
Zach Sanford really doesn’t like Erik Gudbranson The two 6’4… behemoths sure didn’t get along this game. Whether it was Gudbranson’s almost incidental elbow on Brady Tkachuk or Sanford taking a run at Sean Monahan early in the second; something got these two going. By the end of the 2nd, Sanford caught Gudbranson off guard and landed a few before Gudbranson handily put him down.
Vladar once again Daniel Vladar put up yet another dominant performance between the pipes. 27/27. 3/3 on high danger shots against. 2/2 for medium danger shots. The Flames haven’t had two above average goalies at the same time in.. a while. Perhaps Kipper/Toskala.
Surprisingly rough game While you could look at their previous games and say “these teams will probably mix it up…, I don’t think most people were expecting the two teams to register 57 hits in total given both have dealt with back-to-backs on their schedule so recently. Note taken.
Welcome to the NHL, Walker With Tyler Pitlick drawing out of the lineup, winger Walker Duehr became the first South Dakota born player to suit up for an NHL game. He was held off the scoresheet, but made a nice play to set up a shot in the first and did not look out of place.
It’s fun to read about the game that was, but this site was designed to discuss potential trades. So for post game pieces I’ll be adding a section where a player that would fit Calgary’s system is profiled. Usually it will involve the team Calgary just played.
Potential Addition: Zach Sanford As much as Gudbranson and Sanford didn’t like each other, you have to be impressed with Sanford’s body of work. Cast-off by both the Capitals and the Blues, Sanford plays a heavy game with a decent amount of offensive skill to go with it. The 27 year old left wing from Salem, Massachusetts has 77 points in 224 games and carries a cap hit of 2 million. Sanford is a UFA at the end of the season and would likely cost around a 3rd round pick to acquire at the deadline.
Sanford set a career high in goals in 2019-20 with 16 in 58 games.
The Calgary Flames continue their road trip at 5pm MT tomorrow against the 7-4-2 Philadelphia Flyers.