EDMONTON – Darryl Sutter referred to it as a “scheme,” a plan he came up with long ago to give Dan Vladar more starts, more regularly.
Apparently, he’s yet to fully disclose his ploy with the Flames backup.
No matter, as there was Vladar, denying a frantic, last-minute push by Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Co. to win a quirky version of the Battle of Alberta, 4-3 Saturday.
“I gotta look at a video,” smiled the towering Czech backstop, who made several of his 26 saves in the dying seconds.
“I think the clock was paused a little bit because those last five seconds felt like 45. It was so long.”
Nothing could have felt longer on Saturday night than the lonely skate his counterpart, Jack Campbell, had to make ten minutes into the game, when he was pulled after being beaten four times by an energized faction of Flames.
By that point the Flames had a 4-1 lead in a game that was literally on pace for 30.
Things settled down from there, and Vladar’s steady influence had plenty to do with that, with a little help, of course, from a diligent group of Flames who knew all too well how capable the Oilers are of erasing large deficits.
A power-play goal by Connor McDavid midway through the second was followed up four minutes later by a Ryan McLeod snipe that closed the gap to one goal, setting the table for a tense third, no matter which side of Red Deer you live in.
“It was just awesome,” said Vladar of a final frame in which he turned aside all eight shots in what will be the Flames’ only visit to Rogers Place this (regular) season.
“After the second period, all the guys were saying, ‘Hey, this is our last 20 minutes in the regular season here. Let’s do everything to bring those two points home.’
“It’s a tough building to play in, obviously a great team, but I think today we showed heart and we battled.”
The fact they did it with their backup was significant, for many reasons.
Was the coach looking to shield starter Jacob Markstrom from an Oilers team that had his number all last season?
Is Markstrom simply feeling the effects of an illness that sidelined him the day before Thursday’s opener?
Will the coach appease a fan base that has been clamouring for Markstrom’s workload to decrease?
“Pretty clear I didn’t make (the decision) today or yesterday,” said Sutter after the game.
“When I looked at the schedule and looked at the first month, that’s what I was doing.
“He was awesome. That’s how he played in the pre-season. He did a really good job for us and that’s what I said this morning.”
Sutter said after the morning skate Vladar could expect more than the 19 appearances he made last year.
“Our theme coming in was there’s 26 weeks in our season and we want to make sure that Vladar gets a game a week,” he said.
“It’s just the way this month works. Quite honest, when Marky was under the weather last game, we thought about playing (Vladar) against Colorado and then Marky here. But he chose Game 1, so this is Game 2.”
It was music to Vladar’s ears after the game.
“It means everything for me, obviously,” said Vladar, who was told of his starting assignment Friday morning.
“That’s why I’m here. I’m here to play my best and help the team every single time I get the call. I didn’t even know that coach said that, but if he said that, it’s great for me. But obviously I have to perform well every single time I get the call.”
On Saturday, he did.
It certainly helped that Mikael Backlund scored 73 seconds in, before his teammates responded to a Cody Ceci equalizer with three more from Michael Stone, Nazem Kadri and Andrew Mangiapane.
Stuart Skinner posted a clean slate the final 50 minutes, with help from the post, which three Flames hit as part of continued pressure through the balance of the first and in parts of the third.
While Stone’s first three-point effort of his NHL career earned him a Hockey Night in Canada interview, Kadri’s goal had most people talking. He made a strong first impression in his provincial battle debut as he raced in alone past a stumbling Brett Kulak before neatly finishing the play with a tuck between Campbell’s legs.
“I just try to skate faster, that’s really what happened,” said Kadri of his mindset while watching Kulak fall to the ice at the blue line.
“I saw he kind of was going down and I just tried to put on the jets and luckily it came out with a chance and I was able to finish.”
A huge power-play goal for the newbie.
“It’s good to see him score,” said Sutter.
“They got the matchup they wanted the first two periods and it was against Naz. His wingers (Mangiapane and Dillon Dube) are going to have to get better for him.
“I thought we played a really strong game. In the second period you knew they were going to shorten the bench and come with a push, and they did early. I thought for the most part we did a pretty good job.”
The win came two days after beating the defending champs, springboarding the Flames into an eight-game homestand that starts Tuesday against Vegas.
Plenty to be excited about if you’re a Flames fan wondering how the re-tooled bunch would mesh early.
“I think it shows a lot of maturity,” said Kadri of the team’s ability to shut things down the final 25 minutes after the Oilers clawed within one and threatened to continue that momentum as they did through last spring’s playoff mismatch.
“We have a mature group in here and I don’t think anyone really hit the panic button. I think that’s what the season is all about. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, you’re going to be up a couple, you’re going to be down a couple.
“Either way, you just have to find that balance and continue to push forward.”