The post Flames Defenceman THROWS DOWN Against Australian NHL Forward appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
]]>The Calgary Flames fell 5-3 to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night. Amid a game full of high pace, blow-for-blow offensive action, newcomer Joel Hanley found himself dropping the gloves with St. Louis Blues forward Nathan Walker. A bout that both combatants will certainly take note of. After all, round three may be just around the corner.
Joel Hanley and Nathan Walker drop the gloves! #Flames | #STLBlues
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/sG4SrdfP4c— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 29, 2024
Claimed off of waivers on March 5, 2024, the 32-year-old Hanley has been putting in the work to solidify a regular spot on the Flames blue line. On Thursday afternoon, the Flames announced that fellow defenceman Oliver Kylington would be a game time decision due to an undisclosed injury. By the time warmups rolled around, head coach Ryan Huska confirmed that Kylington would take the night off and Hanley would slot in on the top pairing alongside Rasmus Andersson.
The Keswick, Ontario product ended up almost beating a personal record in terms of single game ice time. His 20:46 was only topped once. A 22:00 deployment while playing for the Montreal Canadiens on April 9, 2016.
Born in Cardiff, GBR, but moving to Sydney, Australia, when he was two, Nathan Walker is the only Australian to play a game in the National Hockey League. At the age of 13, Walker’s Slovakia-born coach capacitated a tryout in the Czech Republic. Nathan appeared in various Czech pro and development leagues for six seasons before heading to North America to play when he was invited to the Washington Capitals development camp in 2011.
Chipping away their trade in the AHL, both Hanley and Walker have taken major steps towards a permanent NHL role in the past two seasons. Walker, 30, managed to stay on the Blues for the entirety of the 2022-2023 regular season without being sent down, and Hanley, 32, hasn’t been sent down since the 2019-2020 regular season.
The two have fought once before. Another tight-gripped, wild affair taking place on November 28, 2022.
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]]>A few depth players took on larger roles and played well, there was a fight to watch, and most importantly, the game was exciting to take in. Not bad for a fanbase starting to budge towards embracing a lower finish in the standings.
The night had pivotal moments, silky offensive plays, and a bit of divine intervention from the Hockey Gods in the form of called-off goals. Hard to complain too much. The roster put in the legwork and kept the pace high, players stood up for each other, and we saw some growth in a few Flames player’s games. The group gets well above a passing grade for bringing all of that.
Andrei Kuzmenko: The 28-year-old Russian was a force on the ice on Thursday night. Two goals; almost three goals (more on that below); the NHL player return in the Elias Lindholm trade had Blues defenders scrambling through 60 minutes of play.
Grade: A+
Here is a closer look at that Kuzmenko beauty from the 1st period#Flames | #STLBlues
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/AhTn037ISB— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 29, 2024
Joel Hanley: With defenceman Oliver Kylington a game time decision for most of Thursday afternoon, Hanley found himself receiving a last-minute promotion to the first pairing alongside Rasmus Andersson. It was fair for Flames fans to be a bit skeptical. The 32-year-old veteran has been deployed in a depth role for the majority of his 9 year NHL career.
The result? Very surprising. Hanley looked calm and composed with his new defence partner. He kept his head above water at even strength for an even goal differential and dropped the gloves with Blues forward Nathan Walker.
Grade: A+
Nikita Ohotiuk: At just 23 and coming off a turbulent experience on the last-place San Jose Sharks this season, Ohotiuk looked rough around the edges when picking up the puck through his first four games with the Calgary Flames.
He had lapses tonight. He and Brayden Pachal were on the ice for two goals against and zero for, but his puck work looked much more polished. There is a way to go still with the Chelyabinsk, Russia product, but tonight was a step in the right direction.
Grade: B+
Dustin Wolf: It’s difficult to make a .778 save percentage look good, but Dustin Wolf pulled it off on Thursday night. The Blues found ways to get an onslaught of crafty plays off, only to be stifled by Wolf’s quick lateral movement. The numbers look bad, but the game could have easily been a blowout without a few key saves from the 22-year-old Californian.
Grade: C+
It would be negligent to omit two Flames goals called off in the third period.
Goal number one appeared to be Andrei Kuzmenko capping off a hat trick after eight goalless outings. The play was deemed a high stick, and Kuzmenko was back at two goals on the night. The high stick in question appeared to be off the stick of Blues defenceman Matt Kessel.
Andrei Kuzmenko thinks he scored his hat trick goal but it's called no goal due to a high stick #Flames | #STLBlues
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/xcxfQNoLqw— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) March 29, 2024
Interestingly enough, the last time Kuzmenko scored was another two-goal night on March 4 against the Seattle Kraken.
Called off goal number two was a goal line push that would have been accredited to Yegor Sharangovich, who hasn’t scored in five games. The Blues successfully challenged the play for offside.
Jonathan Huberdeau: Also of note was the play of Jonathan Huberdeau, who simply seemed distanced from his smooth passing ways. While the star winger recorded a power play goal in the late first period, but another poor performance at even strength brings Huberdeau to a -8 goal differential in his last five games.
Grade: C-
The goal keeps him out of re-doing the course, but the St. Jerome, Quebec product has work to do to get back into form. Luckily, the fans are no longer rabid about winning, and the pressure is light while he works it out.
Yegor Sharangovich: The fan favorite finds himself floundering in a bit of a funk of late. The called off third period goal keeps the Belarusian to one assist in his last five games – to go with a -7 even strength goal differential.
Grade: C
Succeeding on the goal line push would have made his night look better, but it’s undeniable that Yegor’s elite wrist shot has gone on a sabbatical. He also found himself on the ice for two even strength goals against.
When Sharangovich finds the touch, he really finds it. His last goal on March 14 marked the end of an eight game streak where he scored eight goals. He had another streak of eight goals in seven games in January. He’ll be back at filling the net soon enough.
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]]>The post Kicking the Skid: Flames-Blues Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
]]>Calgary Flames (33-33-5, 71 pts) vs St. Louis Blues (38-30-4, 80 pts)
Last Ten: Calgary (3-7-0) St. Louis (6-3-1)
Time: 6:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, Bally Sports Midwest, ESPN+
The last four games haven’t been particularly fun for members of the Calgary Flames. AJ Greer, Brayden Pachal, Kevin Rooney, and MacKenzie Weegar have led the Flames in production since March 18 with two points apiece. Notable offensive producers Nazem Kadri, Yegor Sharangovich, Jonathan Huberdeau, Blake Coleman, and Andrew Mangiapane have a total of three points between the five of them.
In the case of Mangiapane, there may be an explanation. The forward will miss tonight and is listed as day-to-day.
Despite a bit of a dark cloud hanging over the players and coaching staff, CHN did a deep dive on recurring trends during Calgary’s 11 losing streaks this season. The Flames tend to end their losing streaks on sour notes against basement teams. If a 4-1 loss against the 31st-place Chicago Blackhawks isn’t considered a sour note; perhaps you need to check your palate.
Much like Chicago on Tuesday, St. Louis enters tonight’s game with a 1-3-1 record against Calgary since the beginning of the 2022-2023 regular season. Jordan Kyrou and Rob Thomas have six points in five games against the Flames over that time. Blues 1A goaltender Jordan Binnington, who is pegged to start tonight, has a 2-0-0 record over that span to go with a .909 save percentage and a 2.99 goals against average.
Huberdeau-Backlund-Coleman
Kuzmenko-Kadri-Pospisil
Zary-Sharangovich-Hunt
Greer-Rooney-Coronato
Hanley-Andersson
Weegar-Miromanov
Okhotiuk-Pachal
Wolf
Markstrom
Buchnevich-Thomas-Neighbours
Saad-Schenn-Kyrou
Bolduc-Hayes-Toropchenko
Walker-Dean-Kapanen
Leddy-Parayko
Scandella-Kessel
Perunovich-Faulk
Binnington
Hofer
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]]>The post Flames Daily: Meta Trends, Free Agent Targets appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
]]>One example of that? The Nashville Predators are quietly proving re-tool-hating Flames fans wrong by pulling off an absurdly successful high-speed roster remodel. [The Predators Have Become The Team No One Wants To Face]
The Calgary Flames have a bizarre tendency to end their losing streaks on the sourest of notes. [Huska’s Calgary Flames Have an Always Darkest Before the Dawn Complex]
Six options for general manager Craig Conroy to target over this offseason that will make the Flames mor exciting to watch on the ice. [6 Spicy Free Agent Targets for the Calgary Flames This Offseason]
Calgary Herald: The Flames scouting staff are busier than ever given the abundance of draft picks being accumulated by the organization. [As Flames add draft picks, Tod Button and scouting staff staying busy]
nhl.com: Matty C is on a quest to establish himself as an NHL regular. [‘Prove I Belong Here’]
Boston Hockey Now: The Boston Bruins are in hot pursuit of NCAA talent. They pivoted this week between two targets. [NHL Source: Bruins In On Quillan; Out On Graf]
Montreal Hockey Now: The Canadiens have a bit of shifting ground to deal with in terms of the draft lottery. Right now, things are looking good. [Canadiens Tank Watch: Situation Improved Ahead Of Draft Lottery]
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: General Manager Kyle Dubas goes to the plate on some tough questions. Worth your time to dive into his response on the floundering penguins and figure out whether you agree with his approach. [Penguins’ Dubas Answers Guentzel, Why Pens Don’t Rebuild, Needed Changes]
Colorado Hockey Now: The Avs brought in Nikolai Kovalenko last week. Now they’re trying to bring prospect Zhakar Bardakov over from Russia for next season. [SCOOP: Russian Prospect Interested In Joining Avalanche In 2025]
New Jersey Hockey Now: Islanders forward Anders Lee’s choices led to a dangerous knee-on-knee collision with Devils star Nico Hischier. A sequence that led to a fight between Timo Meier and Lee. The 33 year old Islander spoke to the media for the first time on the sequence. [Anders Lee Offers First Comment on Illegal Check to Nico Hischier vs. Devils]
Philly Hockey Now: John Tortorella is a wellspring of drama. His weekly input often outdoes the annual quota of the average NHL coach. This week is no exception. [Flyers’ Tortorella Apologizes for Felix Sandstrom Reaction: ‘It was wrong’]
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]]>While things may seem to be at the proverbial rock bottom of the 2023-2024 season, this current slide is nothing out of the ordinary for this edition of the Calgary Flames. Calgary has a strong tendency to hit these slumps and follow them up with winning streaks.
Four losses
Three wins
Two losses
Three wins
Two losses
Four wins
Four losses
Four wins
Three losses
Five wins
One loss
One win
Three losses
Two wins
Four losses
Seven losing streaks and six winning streaks in the last 45 games.
Only once have they had a single isolated loss followed by a win between streaks. The Flames can beat Boston or Vancouver one week and then pivot and lose to Chicago, Columbus or the San Jose the next.
Even stranger is that the near exact situation that the Flames find themselves in (four straight losses capped by 31st-place Chicago) nearly happened already earlier this season. Jacob Markstrom fended off a number of breakaways, and odd man rushes to shutout the Blackhawks en route to a 1-0 win.
Their only win against Chicago in the past two seasons.
That Jan. 27 win over Bedard’s Blackhawks signaled the end of a four-game losing streak. In typical fashion, the final loss of that particular streak came against the 28th-placed Columbus Blue Jackets; a nasty, one-sided 5-2 affair that featured former Flame Erik Gudbranson bullying rookie Adam Klapka in the final minutes of the match.
Alright, let’s dig out a trend or two. The Flames have had 11 losing streaks of two or more this season after 71 games. We’ll plug in which team served as their final loss of each streak.
* denotes a team currently sitting in a playoff spot.
Oct. 14-16: Two losses (Washington*)
Oct. 20-29: Six losses (Dallas*)
Nov 10-11: Two losses (Ottawa)
Dec 2-5: Two losses (Minnesota)
Dec 9-14: Four losses (Minnesota)
Dec. 23-27: Two losses (Seattle)
Jan 6-7: Two losses (Chicago)
Jan. 18-25: Four losses (Columbus)
Feb. 12-17: Three losses (Detroit)
Mar. 9-12: Three losses (Colorado*)
Mar. 18-26: Four losses (TBD, but they just lost to Chicago)
Pretty wild so far. Ten concluded losing streaks; only three ended with a loss to a playoff-projected team.
Factor out Ryan Huska’s adjustment period 2-6-1 October, and you have eight losing streaks. Seven of them have ended on sour notes involving losses to teams that the Flames are expected to beat. Teams that, maybe Detroit aside, aren’t remotely close to making the playoffs.
It’s fun to follow and identify trends and patterns in each Calgary Flames season. Every year has something different recurring that the team manages to struggle with.
Maybe said trends will recur over a few years, such as Iggy’s Flames having notoriously slow Octobers followed by notoriously strong Decembers. Others, such as Darryl’s 2022-2023 Flames consistently finding a way to lose in overtime (17 times in 82 games), appear to be self-contained to just one season.
This season?
Major swings in quality of play week-by-week. Once the team got comfortable within Huska’s high-tempo offence and zone defence around the beginning of December, that trend really took off.
Taking the concept to a macro level, despite the variance of trends in any given year, one consistency over decades of Flames hockey is that the result is the team proverbially shooting themselves in the foot a few times over an 82-game schedule.
And when it comes to going on a long run, in this case towards winning a Stanley Cup, most medical professionals would advise that you not to shoot yourself in the foot too often.
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]]>The post Defining “Unacceptable” – Flames-Blackhawks Game Day Preview, Notes, How to Watch appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
]]>Calgary Flames (33-32-5, 71 pts) vs Chicago Blackhawks (20-46-5, 45 pts)
Last Ten: Calgary (3-7-0) Chicago (5-5-0)
Time: 6:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
TV: Sportsnet One, Sportsnet West, NBC Sports Chicago, ESPN+
The Blackhawks and Flames have a unique relationship over the past two seasons. Despite Calgary consistently holding a higher place in the standings and Chicago in a state of all-in rebuild mode, the Blackhawks roster seems to be fully aware that they can beat the Flames on any given night.
Over five games against each other since the beginning of the 2022-2023 regular season, the Flames have gone 1-3-1 against the Blackhawks. Their only win came on Jan. 27 of this season in a match requiring goaltender Jacob Markstrom standing on his head to seal a 1-0 victory in the Scotiabank Saddledome.
A win tonight would at least keep the media off of the players in terms of beating teams around the bottom of the standings.
The Calgary Flames have a three-way tie for top scorer amid this current three game losing streak. AJ Greer, Brayden Pachal, and Kevin Rooney lead the team with two points apiece since March 18.
Three losses in a row makes the Flames the only team to not record a point since that date. Of note, the Flames penalty kill has a 57.1% success rate. Good for 30th in the NHL.
Poor even strength goal differentials during this streak include:
Jonathan Huberdeau: -5
Yegor Sharangovich: -4
Oliver Kylington: -4
Rasmus Andersson: -5
Nazem Kadri: -5
Eight other players post a -2 or worse. The only players in the green are AJ Greer (+3), Brayden Pachal (+2), Kevin Rooney (+3), Dryden Hunt (+2), Joel Hanley (+1) and Matthew Coronato (+1).
Zary-Kadri-Pospisil
Mangiapane-Backlund-Coleman
Huberdeau-Sharangovich-Kuzmenko
Greer-Rooney-Hunt
Kylington-Andersson
Weegar-Miromanov
Hanley-Pachal
Markstrom
Wolf
Donato-Bedard-Kurashev
Foligno-TJohnson-Raddysh
Entwistle-Athanasiou-Reichel
Slaggert-Dickinson-Anderson
Vlasic-Jones
Korchinski-Megna
Kaiser-Zaitsev
Mrazek
Soderblom
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]]>The post Flames Daily: Sabres Sink Flames, Sam Morton’s Wild Ride appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
]]>For example, Montreal fans should be hoping that the Flames re-tool translates into a cup contender sooner rather than later. Here’s why. [Why Calgary’s Retool Could Be Beneficial For The Canadiens]
While offence draws the greater paydays on July 1st, here are six pending free agents that can make an impact on the Flames with a smaller budget. [6 Spicy Free Agent Targets for the Calgary Flames This Offseason]
TSN: A third period offensive surge powered the Buffalo Sabres past the Calgary Flames last night. [Sabres’ Peterka scores game-winner in win over Calgary Flames]
Calgary Herald: Following six years playing NCAA hockey, Sam Morton has had a lot of fun adjusting to life as a pro. [‘This is crazy’: Inside Sam Morton’s first week in the Flames’ system]
Colorado Hockey Now: Nathan MacKinnon is on the verge of surpassing the franchise points record on the Colorado Avalanche. How close is he? [MacKinnon Passes Sakic For Avalanche Single Season Points Record; Stastny Next?]
San Jose Hockey Now: Mike Hoffman suffered the first (known) concussion of his 13-year NHL career against one of the Tkachuk brothers. Which brother and what is next for the pending UFA? [Hoffman Says Tkachuk Hit Concussed Him, Knows Time Running Out To Make Statement This Year]
New Jersey Hockey Now: Timo Meier got a Gordie Howe hat-trick last night. Full footage and highlights. [GOTTA SEE IT: Devils Timo Meier’s Wires Cross, Completes Gordie Howe Hat-Trick]
Nashville Hockey Now: The Preds are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the NHL. Should Andrew Brunnette be a frontrunner for the Jack Adams? [Red-Hot Preds Making Andrew Brunette’s Case For Jack Adams Award]
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]]>The post Flames Daily: UFA Targets, Last of Us Cast Back in Alberta appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
]]>For example, is the proverbial ship sailing when it comes to the Flames fetching 2020 seventh overall pick Alexander Holtz in a trade for Jacob Markstrom? The oft-linked forward is starting to work his way into a top-six role in New Jersey. [Travis Green Explains Alexander Holtz’s Promotion in Devils Lineup]
A few fun-to-watch UFAs for the Flames to pursue on July 1. [7 Spicy Free Agent Targets for the Calgary Flames This Offseason]
A player breakdown of Calgary’s newest prospect, Sam Morton. [Flames Sign College Scorer Sam Morton – Full Scouting Report and Highlights]
Narcity: The cast of HBO’s The Last of Us took their production to Vancouver to shoot season two after shooting season one in Alberta. Actor Gabriel Luna (Tommy) made an appearance at the Flames-Capitals game on Monday and confirmed that they’re back in Wildrose country for a bit to get some work done. [
Calgary Herald: Head Coach Ryan Huska speaks on the value of Calgary’s most dependable forward line. [‘They have a chemistry’: In season of change, Calgary Flames leaning on one line’s consistency]
Philly Hockey Now: John Tortorella has some sort of nonsense drama happening to him at least once a week. He was called out publicly on Wednesday by a forward that played under him for eight seasons for what he did to Sean Couturier earlier this week. [Flyers’ John Tortorella Called Out by Former Player]
New Jersey Hockey Now: Calgary-born bruiser Matt Rempe claims that he didn’t mean to hurt Jonas Seigenthaler last week when he was ejected from the game for an elbow on the Devils defenceman. [Rangers Matt Rempe Learned from ‘Dirty Hit’ Against Devils]
San Jose Hockey Now:
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Is head coach Mike Sullivan’s time running out in Pittsburgh? [Mike Sullivan Should Face Tough Questions About His Future]
Montreal Hockey Now: Who have been Montreal’s top forwards since returning to NHL action in early February? [Montreal Canadiens Top Forwards Since All-Star Break]
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]]>The post 6 Spicy Free Agent Targets for the Calgary Flames This Offseason appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
]]>
We at CHN thought it would be a fun idea to use the time between games to take a look at some of the more enticing players available in free agency this summer.
By enticing, we mean maybe not big ticket UFAs, but entertaining players to watch play hockey. Most aren’t expecting the Flames to be contenders next season, but it’s fair to say that most fans are hoping for a fun team to watch.
With that said, seven spicy free agent targets for the Calgary Flames on July 1.
It’s ok to admit your organization made a poor decision. Especially when you weren’t the one making it.
Letting Ryan Lomberg walk has to make the top ten for ultimate Treliving gaffes while managing the Calgary Flames. Well, maybe top 12, but still up there.
Leaving the Flames to join the Panthers during the 2020 offseason, Lomberg has been a source of entertainment for Panthers fans in the form of big hits, high-speed odd-man breaks, and fights. All at a price of less than a million per year.
The Panthers score and then chaos breaks out pic.twitter.com/RAeY5WYXVX
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 16, 2024
General manager Craig Conroy was one of the guys sent to scout and identify whether Lomberg was a projectable NHL talent when he was playing for the University of Maine. He’ll have a chance to bring him back into the fold when the 29-year-old hits free agency this summer.
If it wouldn’t be accurate to call Lomberg a spark plug, the same logic applies for Liam O’Brien. The two are more arsonists than spark plugs.
If Conroy is looking for a disrupting fourth forward unit, he would probably only have to spend $300,000 above replacement value to get both O’Brien and Lomberg into the fold.
The Calgary Flames have a bit of a french connection going on their current roster. Jonathan Huberdeau is from Saint-Jerome. Jakob Pelletier is from Quebec, Quebec. Even pending UFA forward AJ Greer hails from Joliette, QC.
David Perron would be a welcome addition. With a combination of high-end puck skills and fearless pushback, the 35-year-old Perron would serve as a valuable leader for a growing Flames core.
That's goal 300 for David Perron! pic.twitter.com/UPSuubhTlD
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 26, 2023
It’s worth noting that uniting Perron and Flames center Nazem Kadri may lead to an unexpected bromance.
Taking a step away from snarl and towards more flashy options, Anthony Duclair has a proven record of success with Flames star forward Jonathan Huberdeau.
Jonathan Huberdeau's (@JonnyHuby11) amazing pass to Anthony Duclair (@aduclair10) earns the @FlaPanthers this week's @massmutual Top Teamwork Moment. pic.twitter.com/8vmbAZetfP
— NHL (@NHL) April 20, 2021
A primary contributor to Huberdeau’s 115-point season in 2021-2022, the two are simply peanut butter and chocolate on the ice.
Anthony Duclair to Jonathan Huberdeau. The Duke is buzzing in Sunrise #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/eqGIOZvdiD
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) November 17, 2021
The 28-year-old Duclair has been enjoying himself since being acquired by the Tampa Bay Lightning for defensive prospect Jack Thompson and a third. The Pointe-Claire, Quebec product has two goals and two assists for four points with his new team.
Duclair is currently on pace to record 22 goals and 16 assists for 38 points in 72 games, although with his current increase in production on the Lightning, that total may reach around 45 points.
The final potential signee of Quebec origin, Jonathan Drouin would fit right into Calgary’s strong redemption theme. Much like Jonathan Huberdeau, a lack of talent has never been the issue despite often finding himself in extended funks.
What a shot! Jonathan Drouin with an absolute laser of a wrist shot top cheese just under the bar. @jodrouin27 @OctagonHockey pic.twitter.com/cnEglqWFlv
— Allan Walsh (@walsha) March 5, 2024
Drouin found his production dashed in 2019-2020 following an 18 goal, 53 point season the year prior. A mere 15 points in the limited 27 game season. The following year, the Ste-Agathe native only appeared in 10 of 22 playoffs games due to a mix of anxiety and insomnia.
This season, Drouin has found his shot again. 12 goals in 65 games has the 28-year-old on pace for 14. His natural position of left wing may be problematic, but with the common F1, F2, F3 system running with most NHL offences, he could still fit in Calgary.
The Oilers haven’t been enthralled by their recent deadline acquisition of Troy Stetcher.
One game played. Two tripping minors taken in the second period. 13:33 in ice time.
Stetcher may be simply too small at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, or not strong enough to handle some of the more overbearing forwards in the NHL. Despite that, the offensive defenceman became an instant fan favorite in Calgary after being acquired along with Nick Ritchie as part of the first brother-for-brother trade in league history.
He didn’t perform well during his 20-game sample, but he looked good enough for fans to like him. If the plan is for the Flames to have a bit of a down year, why not bring in a player like that?
How bad did Stetcher look? You could argue that the pairing of him and Zadorov lost the Flames a playoff spot. The two were outscored 6-11 down the stretch at even strength. That includes two of the three goals Zadorov scored against the Sharks in game 82.
On the other hand, maybe that was more on Zadorov. The 6-foot-6 blue liner made a number of game-breaking mistakes down the stretch. Changing the variables around, Stetcher and Weegar put up a godly 91.7% expected goals percentage in their ten minutes together. Small sample size and a questionable statistic sometimes, but an interesting microstat.
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]]>The post Flames Daily: Chris Simon Passes, Tortorella’s Big Gamble appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
]]>For example, Flyers head coach John Tortorella made a massive gamble in scratching star center Sean Couturier. Jon Bailey makes sense of it. [Flyers, Tortorella Take Huge Gamble With Sean Couturier Scratch]
-Power forward, consummate tough guy, and 2004 playoff hero Chris Simon has passed away. [Chris Simon Passes Away at 52]
-The Flames management crew made a bit of a slip-up in checking Sam Morton’s date of birth and what his draft age is. The NCAA’s entry level contract was rejected by the NHL. [NCAA Star Sam Morton’s ELC Contract Rejected by NHL Central Registry]
NHL.com: Left winger Jakob Pelletier will get a few games in with the AHL Wranglers before returning to the Flames. [Flames Assign Jakob Pelletier To Wranglers]
Calgary Herald: The Flames consider their Monday loss to the Capitals a learning lesson. [‘Another learning lesson’: Ovechkin scores twice on Wolf, Flames fall to Capitals]
TSN: Can the NHL change how LTIR is potentially abused during the regular season? [Insider Trading: Could concessions be made with NHL’s current LTIR stance?]
NYI Hockey Now: Head coach Patrick Roy is looking for solutions following a four-game skid. While the team appears lifeless, he doesn’t like what he’s getting out of his #1 goaltender either. [Islanders Head Coach Roy Says “I’m Not 100% Pleased” With Sorokin]
Daily Faceoff: It sounds like emergency backup goaltenders are about to get paid. [Momentum building to ‘professionalize’ EBUG options for NHL teams]
Montreal Hockey Now: Which forward on the Canadiens are fans most divided in their opinion of? [The Most Polarizing Montreal Canadiens Forward In 2023-24]
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Sidney Crosby is quietly chasing a milestone that only Wayne Gretzky is yet to achieve. [This Feat Would Be a Great One for Sidney Crosby]
San Jose Hockey Now: In case you missed it, the Sharks had a pretty dramatic firing this week. To the point where Mike Grier went on record saying that one of their scouts simply wasn’t bothering to do his job. 100% worth a read. [Amateur Scout Eronko Fired, Grier Shares How Sharks Have Russian Draft Prospects Covered]
Boston Hockey Now: The Bruins of 2023-2024 have a startling tendency to take the game to overtime. Some wild stats were dug up for this one. [Colageo: Boston Bruins Banking on Overtime Shifts]
New Jersey Hockey Now: How should the Devils manage their woesome situation in net for the rest of the 2023-2024 season? [Nichols: Devils Should Lean on Jake Allen for Remainder of Season]
Philly Hockey Now: The NHL had a major heavyweight throwdown last night. Full video of the scrap. [Watch: Flyers’ Nick Deslauriers Takes Down Maple Leafs’ Ryan Reaves in Early Fight]
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The post Flames Daily: Chris Simon Passes, Tortorella’s Big Gamble appeared first on Calgary Hockey Now.
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