Five observations from Calgary vs Edmonton:
1. Flames strong at 5v5 Despite suffering *another* extra time loss, I thought the Flames played really well.
In the latter half of a back-to-back against a divisional opponent – one coming off an embarrassing effort at that – the Flames were still able to control play for the majority of the night.
At 5v5, the Flames out-chanced the Oilers by 13 (33-20) and 11 (17-6) when it came to high-danger chances.
They had no problem generating quality looks around the net but the Oilers were more opportunistic winning the 5v5 battle 3-2 despite much fewer, and lesser, chances.
This heatmap really shouldn't be surprising to anyone. Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, and Curtis Lazar(!), among others, were botching chances in the paint while Brandon Davidson scored from along the boards.
It was just one of those nights for the Flames, which they can't really afford with how tight the playoff race is.
2. Matthew Tkachuk continues to carry Stop me if you've heard this before: Tkachuk was one of the best players on the ice.
He was his usual self causing havoc around the net and pissing off the entire opposing roster. That again led to a drawn penalty. More importantly, though, he scored a pair of goals.
He's not small by any means but it's amazing to me a kid who still hasn't filled out entirely can be so good and effective around the net. Taking a beating doesn't seem to bother him one bit and he's excellent at spinning out of contact and/or finding soft spots for a split second to get a good shot off.
I've said this countless times but I continue to believe he's already one of the best players in the league around the net and below the dots. Everything he touches turns to gold.
3. The 3rd line remains ice cold Remember when the Sam Bennett - Mark Jankowski - Garnet Hathaway line was crushing the opposition – in possession and on the scoreboard – on a nightly basis? Good times, good times.
Bennett and Hathaway have one point in their last 12 games while Jankowski has just two in that stretch.
Their underlying numbers have dipped a bit, too, and games like this have come more frequently.
Calgary got the better of the chances but the attempts were even at 5v5. Rough night for their 3rd line and 3rd pairing. pic.twitter.com/PJeYZrtKkc
— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) January 26, 2018
4. No Luck Lazarâ„¢ If Lazar didn't have bad luck, he'd have no luck at all. At this point I'm convinced he'll never score again. Seriously.
No matter how many chances he gets around the net, he just can't convert. The puck bobbles off his stick, his shot gets blocked, he misses the net, whatever. Anything that could prevent him from finding the back of the net seems to happen.
He was credited with six(!) scoring chances last night yet he had just two shots on target and didn't score, which pretty much sums up his NHL career. He has one goal in his last 80 games.
5. Play Dougie Hamilton in overtime Hamilton is not only the best shot generator on the Flames, but is among the best in the league. He can skate and the offensive side of the game is definitely his strongest suit. Despite this, he can't get a shift in overtime to save his life.
It's one thing to sit him if the guys you trust – namely Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie – are fresh. It's another when they've been played into the ground and you're in a back-to-back situation.
Many teams would kill to have a guy like Hamilton available to them in overtime. He's a great asset to have – use him.