That net-front area where the Sharks aren’t finishing their chances as often as they should, and that’s where the Flames have been coming up with more saves above expected.įlames fans may also want to watch intently as they’ll square off against a “dream” trade deadline target in Timo Meier, who can produce on the man advantage and enter the zone effectively. So if he can stand tall against a team that struggles to finish their chances, that could help rebuild his confidence. With two matchups against the Sharks coming up, it’s possible that Jacob Markstrom’s between the pipes for at least one. Better yet, if you look through that list of goaltenders, you’ll find a handful of them that the Flames could encounter on their road trip. The Flames’ ability to limit shots should also help against a team that seemingly struggles to get goals in high-danger areas. The Sharks also boast a better power play and a top-three penalty kill which shows that their five-on-five play is a huge reason why their team is outside the playoff picture.Ĭalgary can at least boast they have better goaltending as Kaapo Kahkonen is ranked among the league’s worst when you account for goals saved above expected. We’ve decided to take a deeper look into the Flames’ next few opponents and unearth some major keys they’ll need to remember if they want to pick up points in winnable games.īoth teams are not among the league’s best when it comes to finishing their chances at five-on-five and need help from their goaltending to keep them in games, but it’s the Sharks who have more goals (in all situations) than the Flames. But that’s something to be said for every game they play, especially from here on out. The Flames will need to score goals in all situations, be more disciplined and play cleanly with fewer turnovers. It’s important that we play well in those games and we get the points when we need to.” When we’re playing Eastern teams, it’s harder to gain ground on teams if they’re winning as well in our conference. They can push teams down and get ourselves into a spot where we need to be. “Those are really important games,” Flames forward Dillon Dube said on Friday. Calgary’s upcoming slate of games will be crucial for the team to rack up points and stay in the fight for a playoff spot of their own. With the exception of Edmonton and Seattle, the Flames will play teams that are presently outside of the playoffs. The Flames will play Pacific Division opponents exclusively from here on out until the end of the month, including a four-game California road trip that begins Sunday. If you account for the bottom 16 teams we projected in our early-season rankings, the Flames have a record of 2-6-4. Calgary holds a 5-6-2 record against teams currently outside the playoff picture. Here is something for those who look at that same glass and bark back at it being half-empty: The Flames have yet to show they can dominate teams that were either projected to be below them (teams like Seattle come to mind) and basement-dwellers like the Blue Jackets. They have yet to play against lowly teams like San Jose, Chicago and Anaheim. ![]() Here is a giant silver lining for those who like to look at a glass and say it’s half-full: According to Tankathon, they have the easiest strength of schedule among all NHL teams. The Flames have not been able to apply whatever concepts or habits they’ve discussed since those comments and are now in the midst of a five-game winless skid. Despite the Flames not looking like the playoff contender many pegged them to be at the beginning of the year, however, they are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. “I think it’s time we actually do them and we stop talking about them.” ![]() “We’ve been talking about a few things for quite a while,” Weegar said.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |