Five notes from Calgary vs Arizona:
1) I thought last night's game was an excellent response to the dud of the effort the Flames put forth against Toronto. They controlled play for much of the night and were able to consistently generate shots in high-danger areas. The only reason it was a game, really, is because Scott Wedgewood looked the part of an established all-star and came up with some big saves you wouldn't really expect anyone to make.
You pretty much knew the Flames were going to get back on track with a win when Troy Brouwer set up Matt Stajan for a Grade A chance ~20 seconds into the game. It didn't amount to anything, of course, but how often does that happen?
2) Mark Jankowski has had a few really good games since being recalled but last night's had to be his best. He lived around the net and created chance after chance after chance. When all was said and done, he was credited with a game-high of six(!) at even-strength, five of which were high-danger, and he converted a couple of those into goals. The kid has some really nice hands around the net and is providing much-needed pop on the 3rd line. He's also low-key putting himself into the Cy Young race.
3) Heading into the draft, many – myself included – considered Matthew Tkachuk one of the best players in the draft when it came to playing below the dots. He gave us a perfect example of why last night with his beautiful assist on Mikael Backlund's goal.
.@TKACHUKycheese_ âž¡ï¸ @mbacklund11 🚨 pic.twitter.com/QB9uvw29by
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) December 1, 2017
Tkachuk's ability to not only see small windows/openings but thread the needle through them really sets him apart from a lot of players in this league. He'll probably never get the recognition he deserves because he's a pain in the ass and a lot of people don't like him, but he's a terrific playmaker and has quietly developed into one of the best in the league – at least that's what the numbers suggest.
Since the beginning of 2016-17, Tkachuk is tied with Taylor Hall for 11th in primary assists per 60 minutes played at 5v5.
4) Mike Smith had some hiccups and injury problems earlier in the month but he appears to have found his game again. Including last night's shutout over Arizona, in which he looked really sharp, he has stopped 158-168 (.940 save percentage) over the last five games and allowed one or less in three of them. The Flames have to be thrilled with what they've seen from him thus far.
5) I really liked Glen Gulutzan's decision to leave Brett Kulak in the lineup following a rough showing vs Toronto. I think he's much better than Bartkowski and it'd send the wrong message if he was taken out after one off night. Not that he shouldn't be held accountable, but you don't want a guy going out every night with the thought that one bad play or misread will cost him his spot in the lineup.
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