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Five observations from Calgary vs Los Angeles:
1. There were too many lulls
I thought the Flames played an alright game. It wasn’t one-sided in their favor by any stretch but, in aggregate, they did enough to give themselves a realistic shot at two points. They didn’t get them, though, and the end result seemed fitting to me.
There were simply too many lulls in play where the Flames would fall asleep at the wheel and dig another hole. Their start to the game was quite poor for a desperate team taking on a bottom-feeder. They didn’t necessarily pay for it but they should have.
They came out and started the 2nd period in much better fashion. Once Mikael Backlund scored to give them a lead I figured they’d really settle in. It was quite the opposite. There were a couple big miscues in quick succession and suddenly it was 2-1 LA.
Though the 3rd period was strong – it was Calgary’s best in my opinion – it felt like anytime the Flames would close to gap, they’d make another mistake and give the goal right back to LA.
Again, it was a fairly even game overall but you can’t fall asleep for 5-10 minutes at a time – on multiple occasions, no less – and expect to win. So much damage tends to be caused in those windows that you spend the rest of the game trying to make up for it.
Now the Flames have to try and rebound against a rested Ducks team that’s played one period of hockey since Sunday.
2. A great impression
I really hope the Flames stay firmly in the playoff hunt. Not just because I want to write about important hockey (rather than the draft) in April and beyond, but because I want them to be in a position where they can go out and get a player like Tyler Toffoli. He is really good and his talents were on full display last night.
At 5v5 alone Toffoli mustered up five shot attempts, four on target, and converted one into a goal. He was very involved offensively and a driving force for the Kings in that gamestate. With Toffoli on the ice, the Kings out-attempted the Flames 20-9 and controlled nearly 70% of the expected goals. His +11 attempt differential was a game-high, and only Anze Kopitar finished with a better xGF%.
Toffoli may not be the flashiest, or fastest, player but he is so dang effective. He can shoot, he makes smart decisions with the puck, and he knows how to find soft spots in opposing defenses. I think he’d be an amazing fit in Calgary – now and long-term – and would love to see him in Calgary. The Flames have to solidify their spot in the standings for that to happen, though.
Their pre-deadline games are Anaheim (x2), Chicago, Detroit and Boston. That’s four non-playoff teams, and the game against the Bruins comes at home. The Flames have to make some noise here.
3. Johnny Gaudreau was everywhere
Gaudreau played one of his best games of the season last night. At least offensively. He was all over the puck and certainly had some extra pep in his step. He was darting through the neutral zone and effortlessly roaming around the offensive zone until he could exploit a blown coverage, either taking the puck himself or feeding it to an open teammate. Gaudreau had six scoring chances at 5v5 alone and led the Flames in shot contributions.
Besides attempting to go 5-hole on a breakaway, and failing to convert once again, he was nearly perfect in the attacking third. He had a couple of assists and probably should have found the back of the net as well.
If that Gaudreau comes out a little more frequently, the Flames will be just fine.
4. The Bottom-6 reverted back to the norm
After a couple of excellent showings, the bottom-6 came back down to earth and served as a doormat for the Kings all night long.
They created next to nothing offensively, as seen in the shot contribution chart above, and spent a lot of time chasing the puck around.
The end results were, uh, not great. They legitimately finished with the six worst xGF%’s on the team.
5. Michael Stone is a problem
I feel bad picking the guy apart every other day but, man, he is in way over his head right now. There’s plenty of evidence to suggest he shouldn’t be playing in an NHL lineup right now, let alone in a top-4 role. The game vs LA was yet another example.
Stone finished with a 38.46 CF% and the worst xGF% among Flames blueliners. He did this while starting more shifts in the offensive zone than any player on the roster. Geoff Ward tried to shelter him a little bit and the Flames were still cratered with him on the ice.
I don’t know how the Flames are going to get enough results with him playing top-4 minutes. He essentially makes the Flames a one-pairing team.
Numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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