A few observations from Calgary vs Nashville:
1. The Flames deserved better A lot of times when a team blows a lead in the 3rd period and, then loses, it can be at least partly attributed to sitting on their heels and letting the opponent dictate play. That certainly was not the case in Nashville.
Though the Flames were out-scored 2-1 in the frame, thanks to a Mikael Granlund buzzer beater, I thought they largely controlled play.
They routinely hemmed the Predators into the defensive zone for extended periods of time. For a lot of the period it felt like a monumental moment if Nashville even broke out of their zone and successfully carried it into Calgary’s, let alone actually did anything once they got there. The numbers were as one-sided as the game felt,
Chances were 15-5 Calgary in the 3rd. High-danger chances were 7-2. Expected Goals were 1.26-.71 (63.92 xGF%) and 1.26-.23 (84.79 xGF%) at 5v5. They had the puck a ton and completely smothered the Predators when they didn’t.
Yes, it sucks to lose that game and let a massive point slip away. But the Flames were fully deserving of it. I know nobody cares for moral victories at this time of year. I think a lot of what we saw was very encouraging, though, and the Flames were unlucky to get the result they did.
If they can do this on a consistent basis moving forward, I’m confident they can grab a playoff spot.
2. MMA ran show Matthew Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund, and Andrew Mangiapane played some great hockey early in the season. They haven’t missed a beat since being reassembled. In fact, their level of performance has only gone up. Last night was yet another example.
With Johnny Gaudreau’s line drawing a lot of the attention from the Roman Josi pairing, MMA spent plenty of time against a 2nd pairing featuring Jarred Tinordi. They took full advantage, rocking a Corsi above 70% and scoring a goal.
In aggregate they finished above 70% in terms of Corsi and Expected Goals while combining to create all three goals the team netted.
There were some very nice plays, with the headliner coming when Backlund walked Roman Josi *and* Ryan Ellis before hitting a wide open Mangiapane in the slot.
The Flames weren’t able to hang on and win, obviously, but not at the fault of this line. They were all-world from start to finish.
3. Erik Gustafsson showed his warts Gustafsson is an awesome puck mover and offensive player. He has his faults defensively, though, and they were on display at times in Nashville. It’s not like he was truly awful – the Flames out-chanced the Preds with him out there – but he did get hemmed in on a few occasions. He was on the ice for as many or more attempts, chances, expected goals and goals against than any other player on the roster. I do like his game but the in-zone defense is why Chicago wasn’t able to fetch a lot more for him.
4. Mark Giordano was hit and miss It was great to see the captain back in the lineup. It was also nice to see him really rush up ice a couple of times and show no sign of pain or discomfort. Unfortunately, his overall level of play was not where we’d expect it to be. He didn’t generate a ton offensively – two shots on goal, no points – and his on-ice impact wasn’t great. He was on for four more Grade A chances against than for, which was the worst differential on the roster, and he finished second to last with a 37.25 xGF%. I’m hoping it’s just a little rust, as opposed to him rushing back and playing at far less than 100%. Numbers via naturalstattrick.com Recent posts: