The 21-22 season has been one of record for the Calgary Flames.
They have set a franchise record for shots on goal, 62 against Columbus in a 6-0 victory on January 26, longest winning streak (10) was tied on Monday in a win over the Jets, and longest goal streak was also tied against Winnipeg when Elias Lindholm scored his eighth goal in eight games.
Also of note was Tkachuk barely coming up short on the single game assists record (Chouinard, 6, 1981) in a 7-1 win over the Blues on January 24. The left wing from Scottsdale, Arizona had five already entering the third period. He could have broken the single game points record that game as well. Sergei Makarov had seven points in a 1990 game against the Oilers.
Tonight is a prime opportunity to break the Flames franchise winning streak record and goal streak record mentioned above.
This opportunity will require the 30-13-6 Calgary Flames defeating the 24-22-6 Vancouver Canucks in front of their own fans in Rogers Arena. Much to the behest of the Vancouver faithful, former Canucks Jacob Markstrom, Chris Tanev, Erik Gudbranson, and newly acquired Tyler Toffoli will be doing their best to end tonight eight points ahead of the Golden Knights in the standings— with one game in hand.
After all, streaks don’t really mean anything. Standings do.
Gaudreau-Lindholm-Tkachuk Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman Lucic-Monahan-Toffoli Dube-Ruzicka-Lewis
Hanifin-Andersson Kylington-Tanev Zadorov-Gudbranson
Markstrom
Eight in 8 You may see the above “Eight in 8… and think: “OK. We get it. Lindholm tied the streak.…
No. This is about another player to score eight goals over eight games. Albeit not one each game.
Former Canuck Tyler Toffoli seemed to have the Canucks’ number last season. Recently signed to a 4.25x4 with the Canadiens, the dangerous right winger indeed proceeded to put up eight goals over eight games against his former team.
Many consider Toffoli leaving to be symbolic of everything wrong with Jim Benning’s time in Vancouver. One one fell swoop Benning lost the services of Chris Tanev, Jacob Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli. Contracts signed that summer? Jake Virtanen 2.55 million, Brayden Holtby 4.3 million. Those two alone were almost enough to keep Tanev and Toffoli. Even worse is that Toffoli claims he wasn’t even given an offer.
Ouch.
While it’s easy to offer criticism of blatantly horrible decisions, one has to wonder what the next step for Jim Benning should be. Now that he has been received of his duties.
My recommendation would be to take the Bob Murray route. Go back to scouting.
The man was a remarkable scout when that was his only role. He was Director of Amateur Scouting for the Sabres from 1998 to 2006. People forget that he was instrumental in building the Sabres team that went to the Conference Final two years in a row. (05-06, 06-07)
Campbell at #156, Miller at #138, Afinegenov at #69, Pomminville at #55 were just some of the home run later picks Benning identified. Not to mention the first round guys. Stafford at #13, Vanek at #7 to name a couple.
The Sabres fired him and most of their scouting staff a week after the 2006 NHL Entry Draft. The intention was to save money by doing less in person scouting and more video scouting.
Brutal decision by the Sabres at the time, but maybe he would be a fit there again if they wanted to take their scouting in another direction. Owners with deeper pockets might reassure him a bit too.
Trevor Neufeld