The Calgary Flames are leading the Pacific Division and now hit the road for dates with the Vegas Golden Knights and Arizona Coyotes.
Here are some thoughts before the Flames head out…
OFFENCE EXPLODES!
After struggling to light the lamp during a three-game road trip to California, the Flames continued to be snake-bitten in their return to Calgary.
Despite outshooting the Montreal Canadiens 45-22 in the opener of a four-game homestand last Thursday, the Flames only managed to put two pucks past Carey Price in a tough-to-swallow 3-2 loss.
Trailing 2-0 late in the second period of last Saturday night’s “Battle of Alberta” versus the Oilers, the team’s persistence finally started to pay off. The Flames scored four unanswered goals in the final 23 minutes and 37 seconds in a thrilling 4-2 victory over their provincial rival in what was probably the most emotional and intense regular season game that I’ve seen in five seasons calling Flames games.
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The Flames continued to fire on all cylinders in Monday’s game against the Golden Knights, when for the first time since 1993, they scored five times in the first period. Bill Peters’ team scored two more times in the second en route to a 7-2 shellacking of the Golden Knights.
Two nights later, it was deja vu all over again. After surrendering a goal just 15 seconds into the game, the Flames responded by potting five goals before the end of the first period, then added an empty-netter in the third in a 6-3 victory over the Jets.
By going three-for-four at home, the Flames improved to a very impressive 7-3-1 inside of the “C of Red” this season.
BIG SAVE DAVE
After Mike Smith’s early-season struggles continued versus the Canadiens last Thursday, the Flames gave the nod to David Rittich in Saturday’s game against the Oilers, and he ran with it for the rest of the homestand. “Big Save Dave”, as he’s been coined on social media, stopped 24 of 26 shots and three breakaways in the “Battle of Alberta”, earning him the game’s second star in the triumph.
On Monday, the 26-year-old Czech turned aside 20 of 22 shots in the Flames’ victory over the Golden Knights.
Rittich was the second star again on Wednesday, when he made 37 saves on 40 Jets shots.
After struggling through most of February, March and April last season, Rittich came to training camp in a battle to be Smith’s backup to start this season. Despite probably being outplayed by Jon Gillies during the pre-season, Rittich was given the No. 2 job. While many Flames fans and some members of the media thought the team would be best-served bringing in a more proven backup by trading for one or even claiming one on waivers, general manager Brad Treliving didn’t go down that road. His belief in Rittich has paid huge dividends for the team.
With six straight wins, an 8-1-0 record in nine starts, and the NHL’s second-best goals-against average (2.04) and fourth-best save percentage (.930), Rittich has been one of the league’s most pleasant surprises so far this season.
Unlike some, I still believe that Smith will find his game, regain his confidence and be an important part of the Flames’ success this season. With that said, Rittich has played at an elite level, and with each passing game, is looking more and more like someone who could be more than just a short-term solution for a Flames team that has been looking for a legitimate No. 1 goaltender since the great Miikka Kiprusoff called it a career.
MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU
Unlike their provincial rival to the north, the Flames have never had the first pick in an NHL Draft. Or the second. Or the third. As a matter of fact, Sam Bennett, selected fourth overall in 2014, is the highest pick in franchise history.
Going into the 2014 NHL Draft, there was a clear-cut top four. The only question was, what order would they go in? With the first pick, the Panthers selected defenceman Aaron Ekblad, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2015. The Sabres selected Sam Reinhart second before the Oilers took Leon Draisaitl third, leaving Bennett, who was ranked first by NHL Central Scouting, for the Flames at four. It was, at the time, a no-brainer.
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Early on, Bennett didn’t disappoint. But after scoring 18 goals and producing 36 points in his rookie season of 2015-2016, statistically speaking, Bennett took a big step back in his second and third seasons, finishing with 13 goals and 26 points in 2016-2017 and 11 goals and 26 points the following campaign. For the first time in his hockey career, goals and points were hard to come by, and that seemed to frustrate the talented forward, who at times, seemed to be trying too hard.
Now 22, Bennett has looked like a more mature player this season. Despite having next to no puck luck in the first 18 games of the season, when according to Flames coaches, he created the third-most high-danger scoring chances on the team, Bennett only had two goals and two assists to show for all of his hard work. However, instead of letting frustration get the best of him like he did at times in his first three seasons, Bennett continued to consistently play the right way. While it took a lot longer than the player and the team would have liked, Bennett’s patience finally paid off in the final three games of the Flames’ four-game homestand.
After recording an assist in his team’s victory over the Oilers last Saturday, Bennett snapped a 13-game goalless streak with a goal in the Flames’ thumping of the Golden Knights on Monday. On Wednesday, Bennett stretched his point streak to a season-long three games with a goal and an assist versus the Jets. He was named first star in that one.
Going into the season, I called Bennett a wild card. While I wasn’t convinced that the Flames needed him to take a step forward to get to the playoffs, I did believe that he was one of a handful of players who could, by playing a more prominent role for the team, potentially transform the Flames from playoff contender to Cup contender. Bennett has consistently been one of the team’s hardest-working and hardest-to-play-against forwards, using his speed, skill, grit and physicality to help the Flames win games.
FIRST-PLACE FLAMES FACE DIVISIONAL FOES
That has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? While there are no guarantees, historically speaking, teams that sit in a playoff spot on American Thanksgiving have a much better chance qualify for post-season play than those that are on the outside looking in. In the last five seasons, 62 of 80 (77.5%) teams in a playoff position on U.S. Thanksgiving have gone on to compete in the playoffs.
The Flames will try to stretch their winning streak to a season-long four games on Friday when they play the Golden Knights for the second time this week. After embarrassing the defending Pacific Division and Western Conference champions at Scotiabank Saddledome on Monday, I’m guessing the Flames will have their hands full with a grumpy Golden Knights team at T-Mobile Arena on Friday. After losing their first three games against the Golden Knights and getting outscored 15-5 in the process, the Flames have won two straight against their new division rival by a combined score of 14-3.
Following Friday’s matinee matchup against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas, the Flames will fly to Phoenix, where they’ll practice on Saturday before wrapping up their two-game road trip versus the Coyotes at Gila River Arena on Sunday afternoon.
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