A few notes from Calgary vs St. Louis:
1) The Flames deserve a ton of credit for the job they did defensively, especially against Vladimir Tarasenko. He's one of the league's most prolific offensive players – he entered the game ranked 2nd in total scoring chances and averaging a point per game – and the Flames gave him absolutely nothing all night long. Despite playing almost 21 minutes, Tarasenko mustered up just one shot on goal and two scoring chances, both of which came on the man advantage. Brayden Schenn, Tarasenko's partner in crime, had just one shot as well so it's not like the Flames left themselves vulnerable elsewhere to try and zero in on Tarasenko. This game was just another example of why the 3M line with the Mark Giordano - Dougie Hamilton pairing behind them is one of the best five-man units in the NHL. They continually win the nightly battle regardless of who they're going up against.
2) The Sam Bennett - Mark Jankowski - Garnet Hathaway line was fantastic once again. They didn't get on the scoresheet, but the Flames out-chanced the Blues 8-1 and had the puck the majority of the time they were on the ice. They're caving in opposing team's depth lines almost every night, which makes the Flames a very tough team to beat given the talent they have in their top-6.
3) Travis Hamonic has been better of late but he was having a disaster of a night before he went down with an injury. The Blues out-attempted the Flames 15-0(!!) and out-chanced them 6-0 in the 4:56 Hamonic was on the ice, which is absolutely crazy. If he's going to miss some time, I'd like to see Rasmus Andersson recalled and given some legitimate minutes. He's having another strong year in Stockton and deserves the opportunity.
4) The Flames were excellent in front of him, but Mike Smith had another good night at the office stopping 21 of the 22 shots he faced. He was a disaster for much of November, and early December, but he's recovered nicely posting a .935 save percentage over his last seven starts. With David Rittich performing well, the Flames have been able to give Smith a couple nights off over the last few weeks. Perhaps that's paying off.
5) The Curtis Lazar - Matt Stajan - Troy Brouwer line was unsurprisingly caved in vs the Blues. Hopefully, Jaromir Jagr can return to the lineup sooner than later because L4 is an absolute disaster without him.
Recent posts: On Bennett's improved play, Smith's workload, and more