After a pair of strong efforts against playoff teams the Calgary Flames regressed back to the team we've seen all season Friday night against the Arizona Coyotes.
Mikael Backlund got the Flames on the board early in the 2nd and the wheels fell off from there as the Coyotes scored four unanswered - including an empty-netter - en route to a 4-1 win.
The Good
- The suddenly hot Mikael Backlund found twine once again as he scored a short handed goal on a beautiful pass from Michael Frolik to give the Flames their 1st and only goal. Backlund now has four goals, five points and 13 shots in his last five games and is playing some of the best offensive hockey of his career.
- Frolik finished 2nd on the Flames in scoring chances with three, was one of their best players in possession (as usual) and picked up a nice assist on Backlund's goal.
Where are the Backlund critics? pic.twitter.com/F0GenPyk9H
— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) March 12, 2016
- Another game, another strong effort from captain Mark Giordano. He played a game-high 26:21, had three scoring chances, five shot attempts, and finished with a team-high plus-4 shot attempt differential at even-strength. With T.J. Brodie out he has to shoulder a little more of the burden. So far, so good - at least from his perspective.
The Bad
- Jyrki Jokipakka and Deryk Engelland played more than Dougie Hamilton. The latter has almost as many points in his last five games (5) as Jokipakka (8) and Engelland (7) do all season. Hamilton's the best of the bunch in possession, too. I don't get it.
- The Flames were out attempted, out shot and out chanced by a team that routinely gets crushed in possession and had won one of 10 games prior to last night's game.
- Joni Ortio posted an .880SV% in this game. The Flames aren't good enough to win with subpar goaltending.
- Lance Bouma posted a game-worst negative-8 shot attempt differential at 5 v 5. Knowing he was struggling, he decided to bench himself.
Let's check in on Lance Bouma pic.twitter.com/hqtcdbLjnf
— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) March 12, 2016
Stat Of The Game
Nicklas Grossman(!!!) led the game with a plus-8 shot attempt differential.
Recent posts: Don't expect too much from Jokipakka