The Calgary Flames were looking to play spoiler while hosting a Colorado Avalanche team desperate for points on Friday night but they did not get the result they wanted.
Things seemed pretty promising for the Flames following a pair of short handed goals on the same penalty kill but they went on to blow their 3-1 lead before eventually losing in a shootout.
The Good
- Despite defending a lead for more than half of a game the Flames managed to control play against an Avalanche team in the thick of a heated playoff race.
At 5 v 5 the Flames out attempted, out shot and out chanced the Avs. While the Avs aren't exactly world beaters at full-strength the Flames deserve credit for their play.
- Sean Monahan didn't find the scoresheet but I thought he played an excellent game once again. He was all over the ice and seemed to have a great look almost every shift; especially late in regulation and in overtime.
When all was said and done Monahan had three high-danger scoring chances (game-high), six scoring chances (game-high) and nine shot attempts (2nd to Mark Giordano).
He is an elite scorer so if he continues to generate chances like he did against the Avs the goals will be there more often than not.
- Freddie Hamilton played another solid game at both ends of the ice. Due to his strong 200-foot effort he was rewarded with some time on the penalty kill and he took advantage of it by potting his 1st career goal. He won't forget that one.
Freddie's first as a Flame.
— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) March 19, 2016
And it's shorthanded which is even more impressive. pic.twitter.com/VbWyRNYw01
- Sticking with the Hamiltons, Dougie Hamilton gave the Flames a steady 22 minutes on the back end. He made a good first pass and more often than not the Flames were in the offensive zone the duration of his shifts. With Hamilton out there at 5 v 5 the Flames out attempted the Avs 23-10.
- T.J. Brodie continued to show why he should be on Team Canada. He played almost 30 minutes and made several key plays at both ends of the ice. He turned a Jarome Iginla mini-breakaway into something as harmless as a fly. He disrupted several entry attempts on the penalty kill and played a pivotal role in killing off Joni Ortio's penalty in over time. On top of his excellent defense Brodie also contributed an assist and four shot attempts. He was outstanding.
- Garnet Hathaway quietly had an effective game. He hit everything that moved (six hits) and finished with a plus-6 shot attempt differential at evens. That's about all you can ask for from your bottom-6 guys.
The Bad
- The Flames blew a 3-1 lead and walked away without two points. That doesn't hurt them in the standings, obviously, but that's a tough pill to swallow any way you slice it.
- By all accounts Joe Colborne had a rough night at the office. He finished the game with a team-worst minus-9 shot attempt differential at 5 v 5, was on for all three goals the Avalanche scored, and bobbled the puck on his shootout attempt.
- The Flames had more scoring chances on the penalty kill (3) than on the man advantage (2). Generally that is not a good thing.
- I thought Joni Ortio made some good stops throughout, and won't fault him for the loss, but he posted a sub .900 save percentage for the 3rd time in four games. The Flames aren't going to win many games with numbers like that.
Stat Of The Game
The Flames out attempted the Avs (4-1), out chanced them (3-1) and out scored them (2-1) while short handed.
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