Flames demonstrate why quiet deadline approach works in win over Canadiens

CALGARY – For the bulk of Saturday night’s visit from the Montreal Canadiens, the evening was as uneventful for Calgary Flames fans as Friday’s trade deadline.

Thing is, both finished with the optimal result.

A 1-0 win over the Habs symbolized the type of defence-first, low-event hockey the Flames will lean on heavily in their quest to hold onto the Western Conference's final wild-card berth.

And they’ll do so with the same group that got them here, save for a pair of additions that came five weeks earlier as part of Craig Conroy’s early trade deadline contributions.

The fact that one of them, Joel Farabee, scored the only goal of the game Saturday speaks to the merits of getting ahead of the silliness that ensues on a deadline day that gives high-priced acquisitions very little time to be difference-makers.

Farabee, no doubt, took a couple weeks to adjust to his first trade, but he has been one of the Flames’ best forwards the last four outings. The chemistry being built with his linemates was on full display in his late second-period goal, as a give-and-go with Mikael Backlund was timed perfectly with a fly-by screen by Blake Coleman that distracted Jakub Dobes just long enough to beat him short side.

"I probably don't score if he doesn't do that,” said Farabee, whose goal in Dallas two nights earlier secured his squad a loser point. “He's a real smart player, he knows exactly where to be, and you know to have the mindset that to flash screen there is the only really smart guys are able to do that.”

There has been some debate over Conroy’s decision to avoid deadline day tariffs and token additions for the sake of it.

And if anyone thinks the players resent not getting a tad more depth, guess again.

“Watching everything that went down, in my opinion you’ve got to tip your hat to Connie and management, because we added two really great pieces,” said Coleman of the Farabee and Morgan Frost acquisitions on Jan. 30.

“And the prices (for the Philly duo), in my opinion, were not what they had become at deadline times. So, I think we're really happy with him going out and making that move, and it actually gave us a little time to find the chemistry that we were just talking about.

“They've shown a lot of faith in us. And we feel like it's on us players to return the favor and give our fans a lot to cheer for down the stretch here, and find a way to make these playoffs.”

Conroy had done well to set the deadline table with his players, letting them know there’d be no disruptions in a tight room full of lads who’ve bonded around a quest to prove the hockey world wrong.

“I really like our team,” said coach Ryan Huska when asked what message Conroy’s inactivity sent to him and his players.

“I like what they've done over the course of the year, and I'm happy that Connie kind of saw the same thing. So he's going to give them an opportunity to kind of finish what they started. And I really like that.”

Finishing it will certainly key around the play of Dustin Wolf, whose third shutout of the season Saturday set a rookie record for the franchise. 

He is the biggest reason the Flames are playoff contenders, despite a chronic scoring deficiency.

His 26-save shutout included a spectacular pad save on Nick Suzuki in the final minute that secured a win in the dreaded return game following a 12-day trip.

Wolf and his crew of dedicated shot blockers just continue to keep these Flames in a race that now has them one point up on the Blues and the Canucks, who happen to be in town Wednesday.

“We had our looks and we played a full 60 tonight - credit to Wolfie,” said Canadiens sniper Cole Caufield, who had a game-high six shots on his former world junior teammate.

“The way he competes is pretty special.”

The same could be said for the rest of Wolf's squad. The GM concurs, making the decision to keep the group intact an easy one.